Dehradun: In a major step toward planned and sustainable urban development, the Uttarakhand government has issued the Uttarakhand Unified Zoning Regulations, establishing common standards for master plans across both the hill and plain regions of the state.
Until now, planning norms differed between mountainous and non-mountainous areas. With the new notification issued by the Housing Department, these discrepancies have been removed. The unified regulations were released under the direction of R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Principal Secretary, Housing, with the primary objective of ensuring systematic, sustainable and disaster-resilient development across the state.
15-Tier Road Classification Introduced
One of the significant highlights of the new zoning regulations is the classification of access roads into 15 levels. These standards will now apply uniformly to all cities in Uttarakhand, including the requirements for:
- Residential buildings
- Commercial structures such as malls and shops
- Institutional facilities like schools, hospitals, police outposts, and banks
This ensures that infrastructure planning aligns with safety, accessibility, and urban mobility standards for both plains and hills.
Protection of Rivers, Lakes, Forests and Eco-Sensitive Areas
The regulations lay strong emphasis on the protection of natural and environmentally sensitive zones. Key provisions include:
- All rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and natural water bodies recorded in revenue documents will be notified as Conservation Use Zones.
- A green buffer zone will be established around these water bodies, where no construction activities will be allowed.
- A strict 30-meter no-construction zone is mandated around rivers and lakes.
- Within 100 meters of eco-sensitive zones, new construction is prohibited, except for existing structures.
- Land categorized as forest area will be regulated strictly in accordance with Forest Department norms.
These measures aim to curb unplanned construction and protect Uttarakhand’s fragile ecology, especially in regions prone to landslides, floods and other natural disasters.
Detailed Road Width Requirements Across Multiple Zoning Categories
The Unified Zoning Regulations specify minimum road widths for different land-use categories in both plains and hilly regions.
R-1: Built-up/Populated Areas
- Single housing:
- Plains: 7.5 m
- Hills: 3 m
- Plains: 7.5 m
- Government quarters/retail shops:
- Plains: 9 m
- Hills: 6 m
- Plains: 9 m
- Banks, ATMs, schools, police outposts, religious buildings, libraries, gyms:
- Plains: 12 m
- Hills: 6 m
- Plains: 12 m
R-2: Residential Zones
- Single housing:
- Plains: 9 m
- Hills: 4.5 m
- Plains: 9 m
- Group housing, government quarters, shops, ATMs:
- Plains: 12 m
- Hills: 6 m
- Plains: 12 m
- Primary schools, yoga centres, libraries, religious buildings:
- Plains: 15 m
- Hills: 7.5 m
- Plains: 15 m
- Cafés, restaurants, nursing homes, community centres:
- Plains: 18 m
- Hills: 9 m
- Plains: 18 m
R-3: Affordable Housing Zones
- Affordable housing projects, playgrounds, ATMs, play schools, police stations, public toilets:
- Plains: 12 m
- Hills: 6 m
- Plains: 12 m
R-4: Rural Population and Expansion Zones
- Single housing, shops, anganwadi centres, dairy farms, nurseries, play schools:
- Plains: 7.5 m
- Hills: 4.5 m
- Plains: 7.5 m
- Primary schools, banks, religious buildings, public toilets, orphanages, old-age homes:
- Plains: 9 m
- Hills: 6 m
- Plains: 9 m
- Colleges and universities:
- Plains: 18 m
- Hills: 9 m
- Plains: 18 m
A Major Step Toward Balanced and Disaster-Resilient Urban Growth
The newly notified unified standards are expected to bring uniformity, reduce ambiguity, strengthen environmental protection, and support planned urban expansion across Uttarakhand. By integrating ecological safeguards and area-specific infrastructure requirements, the state aims to ensure safe, sustainable, and future-ready development across all regions.
