Karnataka proposes raising high‑rise building limit to 24 metres

The Karnataka government has proposed lifting the height limit for buildings classified as high‑rises from 21 metres to 24 metres. ## What Happened The Urban Development Department issued a draft notification on November 3, 2026, inviting objections and suggestions within 30 days. The proposal follows an earlier change in 2025 that raised the limit from 15 metres to 21 metres across the state, and a similar Bengaluru notice in June 2026 that has now been withdrawn. ## Reaction The State Fire and Emergency Services Department supports the increase, saying it aligns with the Central Government’s Compliance Reduction and Deregulation Phase‑II recommendations and reflects a move toward global best practices in fire safety. While the relaxation may ease vertical growth, officials acknowledge that higher buildings remain subject to stricter fire‑safety, evacuation and structural norms, prompting some safety concerns. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has repeatedly urged the Union Government to ease height caps in Bengaluru, citing the city’s four airports as a constraint on horizontal expansion. ## Context High‑rise classification triggers tighter building codes, so raising the limit enables denser, taller construction in Karnataka’s urban areas, building on the state’s recent trend of incrementally increasing height thresholds.