Open letter against proposal to reduce buffer zones of lakes and drainage

A citizen-led platform named 'Mapping Malnad' has written an open letter to the Urban Development Department raising objections against the government's proposal to reduce the buffer zones of lakes and storm-water drains (nullahs) in Karnataka. The platform works towards research, advocacy, and dialogue for the protection of the Western Ghats.

According to a report by The Hindu, the Karnataka government, in a draft notification dated 9 October, proposed amendments to zoning regulations to standardise buffer zones around water bodies such as lakes and drains across the state, excluding areas under GBA, BDA, BMRDA, and BMICAPA. Mapping Malnad has raised objections to this proposal on eight points.

The letter states that the decision to reduce buffer zones is motivated by real estate interests. This move ignores the technical guidelines of the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) regarding drainage planning and previous judicial directives concerning lakes.

Referring to RTI documents, the letter mentions that a meeting regarding the real estate sector of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region was held on 31.08.2024 under the chairmanship of the Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Urban Development Minister. In this meeting, it was deemed appropriate to carry out necessary activities in the buffer zones of nullahs and water bodies, and accordingly, amendments to the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act were suggested. These details are recorded in the proceedings of the meeting held on 10.07.2025 under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.

Mapping Malnad pointed out that the notification to reduce lake buffers was subsequently issued in February through amendments to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act, 2014. Five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have announced plans for new roads and road expansions that pass through lakes, drains, their buffers, and green spaces. According to the letter, these roads pave the way for unsustainable real estate development at the cost of Bengaluru's protection against floods and water scarcity, and a similar situation could arise across Karnataka.

Furthermore, the CPHEEO's Manual on Storm Water Drainage Systems 2019 recommends preparing a drainage master plan consistent with the city's master plan. However, a review of the Approved Master Plans (AMPs) on the Town and Country Planning (DTCP) department's website and inquiries with local planning offices revealed that no such plans have been prepared. In the AMPs, drains have not been classified as primary, secondary, or tertiary, nor have their buffers been determined, which could make the implementation of rules difficult.

The letter also mentions the Karnataka High Court judgment dated 11 April 2012, which accepted the report of the Justice N.K. Patil Committee. This report considered a 30-metre lake buffer essential and recommended increasing the buffer by 2 metres for every additional 5 hectares for lakes exceeding 40 hectares. Along with this, strict implementation of drain buffers in zonal regulations was demanded. According to the letter, the current reductions ignore these judicial directives.

Mapping Malnad also expressed objection to the fact that despite this draft notification being crucial for water security and public safety, it was not published in any major newspapers or on government websites, nor was any email address provided for submitting objections.