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

Bengaluru 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.

Buffering Karnataka’s waterbodies Buffering Karnataka’s waterbodies In the recently concluded monsoon session, the Karnataka government introduced the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which amends the 2014 Act to define graded buffer zones around tanks based on their size.