BMC has hit upon a scheme that will cost it less money, but could end up costing the city heavily in terms of open spaces. Already choking with a growing concrete jungle and shrinking green pockets, Mumbai now stands to lose nearly a third of all proposed open spaces if the civic body goes ahead with a newly introduced clause in the draft Development Control Regulations (DCR) 2034.

Civic officials said the new DCR clause has been introduced to enable the BMC to get the remaining 70 per cent for free. File Pic/Bipin Kokate