New Delhi, Jul 23 (UNI) Constructing building in air space over roads, railway tracks and water bodies is the out of the box solution presented before the Union Ministry of Urban development here. The idea has come from recently retired government official from Kerala Mohan Paravur, who has devoted considerable time of his life to the promotion of alternative and sustainable development. Mr Paravur says that the land that would be saved by having overheads buildings roads, railway lines, rivers, canals could be utilised for cultivation to strengthen the country’s food security and increasing its green cover to create sink for greenhouse gases. The overhead buildings could be constructed for both domestic and non-domestic purposes. Such construction would also make it easy to widen a road or a railway track without the necessity of demolishing buildings on the sides that often results in the problem of displacement and public unrest. This programme could be a new source of non-tax revenue to the government as they can sell out or lease out the right of constructing the overhead buildings to other parties or do it themselves. 'This can actually be a source of huge incomes such as those from sale of spectrum and auction of coal mines,' the retired officer said. In his presentation given to the Urban Development Ministry here , he showed how the overhead buildings could be constructed with spaces between them, so that the space underneath was not denied sunlight and fresh air. Buildings can be constructed by leaving out the space of the ground floor and one or two lower floors to make space for passing of tall vehicles. Even in narrow roads, overhead buildings can be constructed taking over small portions of the adjacent plots on either side of the road concluding mutually beneficial agreements with owners. Since these are futuristic buildings and in future hydrocarbon based vehicles would be replaced by electric vehicles, there was no danger of carbon emissions from vehicles harming the health of residents of overhead building, Mr Paravur said. He said he had made a detailed presentation to the Chief Executive Engineer of the Urban Development Ministry giving him the calculations of the revenue that this project would bring to the Government in addition to the main benefit of having land spaces free for agriculture. Mr Paravur said he would also make an appeal to all the political parties to include this project in their agenda and evolve a national consensus in its favour. He said he was working with full passion on his idea trying to get other along with him. ‘’My slogan is Air Space Our Space,’’ he said. UNI NAZ SV SB 1101