BENGALURU: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up civic agencies including Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for allowing construction activities in the buffer zone of Kaikondrahalli lake on Sarjapura road. A case was heard at NGT on Friday.
NGT has also took to task BDA, BESCOM and other agencies for giving permission for construction of buildings within the revised 75m buffer zone around Kaikondrahalli lake. The agencies have been served with notices, and the next hearing has been set for January 8.
In May 2016, the NGT had issued a direction to maintain a 75m buffer zone around lakes. For Storm Water Drains (SWD), the buffer zone is 50m, 35m for secondary SWD and 25m for tertiary SWD. Pointing this out, Saransh Jain, advocate from Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said they noticed some violations even after the May 2016 directive.
“BBMP has issued occupancy certificates (OC) to a 50-storeyed building that is within the buffer zone at Kaikondrahalli lake. This was done in October 2016. How can they issue an OC ?’’ he asked. He also said that on the other side of the lake, a shopping arcade was planned on a storm water drain. This is a fresh construction.
Jain said NGT has asked BBMP, BESCOM and other agencies to give an explanation on January 4.