SC quashes NGT order; relief for builders, property owners in Karnataka

BENGALURU: In a big relief to the Karnataka government and over 35,000 property owners in the buffer zones of rajakaluves, the Supreme Court on Tuesday set aside the National Green Tribunal’s 2016 order that expanded no-construction zones around waterbodies across Bengaluru.

The NGT, on May 4, 2016, had ordered a buffer zone and green belt of 75 metres around lakes, 50 metres for primary storm water drains, 35 metres for secondary storm water drains and 25 metres for tertiary storm water drains. The order now stands quashed.



However, the 75-35-25 metre buffer zone limits will remain with respect to mixeduse development project of Mantri Tech Zone and Coremind Software Services in Agara wetlands as the apex court dismissed their civil appeals challenging the NGT order.

An apex court bench comprising Justices AK Sikri, S Abdul Nazeer and MR Shah passed the order after noticing that senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, who appeared for Forward Foundation, the original applicant before the NGT, had no objection to setting aside these general directives pertaining to buffer zones in all civil appeals filed by the Karnataka government and others, except the ones filed by Mantri Tech Zone and Coremind Software Services.