BENGALURU: A pivotal move to reshape home construction in Bengaluru was announced by the government on Monday, introducing modifications to longstanding building regulations for smaller residential plots. This adjustment alleviates certain burdensome rules that have affected property owners for years.
The Urban Development Department (UDD) has revised the 2015 master plan to amend setback regulations for residential buildings on plots up to 4,000 square meters.
As part of this new framework, the UDD has customized setback requirements based on plot size. For plots measuring 60 square meters (20x30ft), the front setback has been reduced to 0.7 meters, with 0.6 meters permitted on each side. Importantly, the rear setback requirement has been entirely abolished for this category.
For parcels up to 150 square meters (30x40ft), the front setback is now set at 0.9 meters, with a rear setback of 0.7 meters and a side setback of 0.7 meters required on one boundary. Additionally, the maximum building height for plots up to 250 square meters is capped at 12 meters, excluding the stilt floor. Setback zones must remain untiled or uncovered to enable rainwater absorption, promoting groundwater recharge.
Urban planners and civil engineers have praised this decision, emphasizing that the formerly rigid setback rules are now more aligned with plot size and building height. This development creates valuable construction space while maintaining safety. The amendments also simplify regulations for basements and parking, allowing for mechanical parking systems and enforcing compliance with the National Building Code (NBC) 2016 to ensure safety standards.
