As part of their fight to preserve their culture, and primarily the areas they live in, the residents of gaothans and koliwadas have come up with special development control regulations. Representatives of the communities presented a proposal of the new regulations to the civic body last week. It will now be discussed, finalised and later sent to the state government for approval. 

Conservation architect and executive director of Urban Design Research Institute, Pankaj Joshi, who has been assisting the communities in formulating the regulations, said that unlike the rest of the city that has to adhere to the regulations laid out by the civic body, gaothan and koliwada residents can ensure that the regulations preserve the character of their neighbourhood. "Since the topography of these areas are not the same as the remaining city, the regular DCR cannot apply to them. We need a special calibrated approach," he added.