The Master Plan and Zonal Plans prescribe the land use and transportation network. Building and Zoning Regulations form part and parcel of the above plans in implementing the specific objections and the development control.

Though HUDA's statutory jurisdiction is confined to the H.M.A, because of its expertise in handling problems of the largest and capital city of Andhra Pradesh, the State Government has traditionally used HUDA to formulate urban development policies and to carry out studies for the entire state.

HUDA has therefore produced major study reports in the following areas:

Building and Zoning Regulations
Conservation of lakes and water bodies
Conservation of Historical Buildings and areas
Preservation of trees

The 1998 zoning regulations notified by the govt. of AP carry several new provisions. The following are the suggestions made by HUDA.

Abolition of the provision of relaxing regulations
Exempting small buildings on less than 100 Sq.m plots from approaching local bodies for prior permission.
Licensing architects to grant building process on plots up to 300 sq.m.
Requiring recharging of ground water in all buildings.

Hyderabad is the second city in India after Mumbai to bring into force HUDA regulations. 137 Heritage Buildings and 9 Heritage precincts (rocks) were notified for protection in 1998.

Development Permission Procedure

The Hyderabad Urban Development Authority is functionally a referral authority for development permissions. While all day-to-day cases like individual residential building permissions are delegated to the respective local bodies, certain planning control powers are vested with HUDA like layout developments, group housing schemes, all non-residential permissions, etc, which the HUDA entertains directly and technically approves such development permissions and forwards the technically approved plans to the local authority concerned for sanction, monitoring and enforcement.