Hyderabad Eases 20-Foot Plot Rule After Public Protests

Telangana municipal authorities have updated the BuildNow online application system to begin accepting building-permission applications for residential plots narrower than 20 feet, easing an automated rejection filter following widespread public protests. The state recently began strictly enforcing a restriction in the common building rules that blocked approvals for plots with road-facing widths below 20 feet, sparking severe backlash from small-plot owners and developers in older settlements.

BuildNow Reopens Filings for Plots Narrower Than 20 Feet

The municipal administration department modified the BuildNow portal after property owners and developers voiced intense opposition to automated application rejections. The system had been configured a few months ago to instantly turn down submissions whenever an applicant entered a road-facing plot width under 20 feet.

Malkajgiri Municipal Corporation Chief City Planner K. Pradeep Kumar confirmed that the government altered the software settings, allowing applications for plots narrower than 20 feet to be accepted. Officials clarified that the operational update is intended particularly to facilitate the reconstruction of existing old houses, though submitting a proposal does not guarantee an automated sanction.

A senior municipal administration official told the Times of India that municipal commissioners had initially sought strict enforcement of the rule to curb unauthorized plot subdivisions and halt unplanned urban density. Municipal officials noted that a six-metre road frontage was standardly viewed as the minimum width needed for viable room dimensions and basic infrastructure like drainage lines.

What This Means for Narrow-Plot Property Owners

The software update directly impacts owners of older residential buildings on compact sites who require official approval to dismantle and reconstruct their structures. While the BuildNow portal no longer issues immediate automated rejections, property holders should note that the administrative adjustment does not grant automatic clearance to every narrow or vacant parcel.

Prospective applicants can now lodge their plans, but town-planning officials are instructed to carry out thorough on-site inspections prior to issuing sanctions. While property titles and registrations are verified through official registries like the Bhu Bharati Portal, building plans must still clear local physical planning compliance.

Hyderabad Old City and Older Settlements Feel Immediate Impact

The policy bottleneck heavily affected central Hyderabad, most notably the historic Old City and longstanding urban villages. A substantial portion of residential sites in these dense neighbourhoods measure between 60 and 70 square yards or less, frequently featuring street frontages considerably narrower than 20 feet.

Enforcing an unyielding digital barrier had brought private home reconstruction in these historic precincts to an abrupt standstill. Enabling file submissions through BuildNow creates a procedural opening for local house owners, provided their structures pass on-ground technical reviews by civic engineers.

“The government had made changes to BuildNow and applications for plots with road-facing widths below 20 feet were being allowed, with town-planning staff instructed to take a more flexible approach to old buildings.”

A 14-Year-Old GO 168 Building Rule Enforced Suddenly

The 20-foot frontage restriction originates from Government Order 168 (GO 168), enacted in April 2012. GO 168 formed the statutory framework for common building rules across urban Telangana, regulating setback standards, building heights, and street widths across jurisdictions governed by the GHMC, HMDA, and regional urban local bodies.

While larger residential projects comply strictly with state development frameworks governed under Telangana RERA Rules, individual small plots were governed by GO 168’s narrow-plot ban. Although the clause barring building permission for plots less than 20 feet wide stood in the statute books for nearly 14 years, local municipalities rarely enforced it rigidly on older settlements until BuildNow automated the process.

Mandatory Physical Site Inspections Form Next Step

Following the software adjustment, the immediate operational hurdle moves from online validation to physical evaluation. Town-planning staff have received official directions to inspect each narrow plot in person before sanctioning any proposal, taking a more flexible approach toward longstanding residential buildings requiring reconstruction.

Property owners must wait for formal administrative circulars to see if the relaxation expands legally beyond old home reconstruction. Government authorities have not repealed the 20-foot restriction itself, meaning applicants must track further town-planning orders to understand how vacant micro-plots will be addressed in future scrutiny rounds.