Govt. issues notification for buffer zones around drains

Close on the heels of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to reduce the size of buffer zones for the smaller water bodies being passed in recently concluded monsoon session, the State government has issued a notification to define categories of drains and prescribe uniform buffer for lakes and drains for all the local planning areas coming within the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region.

As per the notification issued on September 1, the drains have been categorised into three types: primary, secondary, and tertiary.

Primary drains are natural drain/nala as per revenue records meant for carrying storm water, leading from lake to another lake or leading from lake to a river, secondary drains are natural drain/nala as per revenue records meant for carrying storm water, leading to a lake or to a primary drain.

Tertiary drains are natural drain/nala as per revenue records meant for carrying storm water leading to secondary drain.

For primary drains, the buffer zone should be 15 mm on either side from the edge of the drain/nala, for secondary and tertiary drains, it is 10 mm and 5 mm respectively.

The notification further stated that any objections or suggestions from the public on this amendment should be addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary, Urban Development Department within 30 days of the publication of the notification.

With regard to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the buffer zone is sought to be removed for tanks with less than five guntas, while setting a three-metre buffer for tanks with an area between five guntas and one acre, six metres for tanks between one acre and ten acres, 13 m for tanks between 10 acres and 25 acres, 24 m for tanks between 25 acres and 100 acres, and 30 m for tanks that are bigger than 100 acres.

For primary canals, the government has proposed to bring down the buffer zone from the current 30 m to 15 m. And for secondary canals from 15 m to 10 m and for tertiary canals from 10 m to five metres.

Environmentalists and activists have criticised the Bill stating that it will destroy all the lakes in the State. “This looks like (Bill) it is more to help the construction mafia. We are against big builders building huge apartments taking advantage of this particular law. This law will not be used by the poor, there are no checks and balances and it will be misused by the builders and developers, said Ramprasad V., founder, Friends of Lakes.

He added that the government has not consulted Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre while drawing the framework for the new law. “It looks like they have not had proper expert consultations with experts. Have they consulted hydrologists, hydrogeologists, environmentalists and ecologists if so they should make it public,” he added.

The Bengaluru Town Hall, a movement focussed on demanding and achieving ‘Planned Development’ and ‘Devolved Governance’ for Bengaluru had recently submitted a memorandum to Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking the rejection of the bill.

“Karnataka’s 45,000 lakes are under the threat of destruction by the Karnataka Government’s malicious Bill to amend the KTCDA Act, to reduce lake buffer zones, and to allow development activities in the sensitive buffer zones. This will have grave consequences for water security, environment and food production in the State,” the memorandum stated.