VIJAYAWADA: In a significant move towards organized urban development, the state government has launched a unified zoning policy for all municipal corporations, municipalities, and urban development authorities. This initiative aims to resolve confusion stemming from inconsistent zoning regulations and to encourage sustainable growth in both urban and semi-urban regions through standardized land use guidelines.
Previously, the state operated under 16 distinct land use categories, which often resulted in overlapping regulations and administrative hurdles. The decision to implement uniform zoning was made following comprehensive research conducted by a team of officials who explored best practices in states such as Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana. A committee of senior officials underscored the necessity for a cohesive framework to replace the previously fragmented, region-specific rules that generated confusion, as noted by Suresh Kumar.
Over the years, various master plans have been developed for urban settlements and their adjacent areas, with zoning regulations often issued separately. “It has been observed that land use zone categories within master plans have been represented inconsistently across different plans, lacking a uniform pattern, which led to various sets of zoning regulations and increased complexity,” remarked a senior official.
This inconsistency has created challenges for the public, technical professionals, and implementing agencies. Currently, building permissions are processed through the Online Building Permission System (OBPS) on a single platform in the state. The high-level committee noted the difficulty of aligning all zoning regulations within a single framework, highlighting the urgent need for common zoning regulations to facilitate clearer application and understanding.
