Open letter raises objections to proposed reduction of lake, stormwater drain buffers across Karnataka

In a draft notification dated October 9, the Karnataka government proposed changes to the zoning rules across Karnataka (excluding regions under GBA, BDA, BMRDA and BMICAPA) to standardise buffer zones around water bodies such as lakes and drains.

Mapping Malnad, a citizen-led platform for research, advocacy and dialogue to protect the Western Ghats, has written an open letter to the Urban Development Department, raising objections to the proposed reduction of lake and stormwater drain buffers across Karnataka.

“The proposed reductions are driven by real estate interests, disregarding the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation’s (CPHEEO) technical guidelines on drainage planning and existing judicial directions on lakes,” said the letter, presenting eight grounds of objection.

In a draft notification dated October 9, the Karnataka government proposed changes to the zoning rules across Karnataka (excluding regions under GBA, BDA, BMRDA and BMICAPA) to standardise buffer zones around water bodies such as lakes and drains.

The letter pointed out that despite its far-reaching implications for Karnataka’s lakes, stormwater drains, water security and public safety, the draft notification was not publicised through prominent newspapers or readily accessible government websites, nor did it provide an email address for submitting objections.

Citing RTI documents, the letter noted that the move is driven by real estate interests.

“On 31.08.2024, in a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Honourable Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Urban Development Minister to discuss the real estate sector in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region, it was considered appropriate to carry out necessary activities in the buffer areas of nalas and water bodies, and accordingly, it was suggested to make appropriate amendments to the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act,” read a document detailing the proceedings of a meeting held under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, on 10.07.2025.

The letter by Mapping Malnad pointed out that the lake buffer reductions were subsequently notified in February through amendments to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act, 2014.

“The five corporations under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) have since unveiled plans for new roads and road widening, with alignments cutting across lakes, drains, their buffers and green spaces. These roads pave the way for unsustainable real estate development at the cost of Bengaluru’s defences against floods and water scarcity. We can expect the same to happen across Karnataka,” it noted.

While the CPHEEO’s Manual on Storm Water Drainage Systems, 2019 recommends comprehensive city drainage master plans aligned with city master plans, “these have not been prepared, as confirmed by our review of Approved Master Plans (AMPs) on the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) website and enquiries with local planning offices,” the letter noted.

It also highlighted that the AMPs neither classify drains as primary, secondary or tertiary, nor demarcate their buffers, which could hinder the proper enforcement of buffer regulations.

In a judgment dated April 11, 2012, the Karnataka High Court accepted the Justice N.K. Patil Committee’s report, which not only considered the existing 30-metre lake buffer essential, but also recommended increasing it by 2 metres for every additional 5 hectares beyond 40 hectares of lake area, and called for rigorous enforcement of drain buffers in zonal regulations.

The letter noted that the reductions disregard these judicial directions. It also argues that the amendments undermine Karnataka’s water security, as the State is highly vulnerable to droughts, exacerbate the risk of floods, landslides, water pollution and public health hazards, and encourage encroachment.