Shimla Councillors Oppose Ban on Construction Below Road Level Towards Valleys

Efforts to tighten building regulations in the wake of recent natural disasters are facing resistance in Shimla. Councillors of the Shimla Municipal Corporation (SMC) have strongly opposed a government notification banning construction below road level on the valley side within the city limits.

At a public hearing held yesterday before the Director of the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department, more than a dozen councillors voiced objections to the notification issued on June 7, 2025. The order prohibits any construction one metre below the road level on the valley side of all designated national highways, state highways, and within the SMC jurisdiction.

The government introduced the restriction to preserve valley views. Under earlier norms, construction on the valley side was permitted up to 1.5 metres above road level. Despite repeated building collapses and damage across the state, many residents remain opposed to stricter norms, and this notification has sparked particular resistance.

Apart from councillors, several residents also raised objections. The TCP Department will forward all representations to the state government, which will take a final decision. Most councillors argued that while such restrictions may be justified along national and state highways to protect scenic views, imposing them within the city is impractical.

They contended that the rule would penalize landowners and homeowners who had purchased plots within the SMC limits at very high prices. With hundreds of small and large roads falling under municipal jurisdiction, they argued, an absolute ban on construction one metre below the valley side of every road would not be feasible.

The draft rules, titled the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning (Fifteenth Amendment) Rules, 2025, took effect from the date of their e-gazette publication. They apply to all hill areas notified as planning or special areas under the Himachal Pradesh Town and Country Planning Act, 1977—defined as regions above 600 metres in elevation with an average slope of 30 degrees or more.

The state government has defended the move as part of broader efforts to make construction standards more stringent, ensuring that homeowners adopt safer practices to minimize risks from natural disasters such as cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods. The last three monsoon seasons have seen a sharp rise in such incidents, underscoring the need for disaster-resilient construction.