Bengaluru lakes under siege with new lake law
With less than 5% of wetlands left in the city, activists have called the government's move extremely irresponsible and dangerous, claiming it is not in the interest of the public but rather serves real estate lobbies. They alleged that the bill is designed to legitimise large-scale encroachments under the guise of development.
Buffer zones are an integral part of wetlands but are being taken for granted, activists argued. They emphasised that the state government cannot override central legislation. 'It is absurd that citizens now have to approach the courts to remind the government of this basic constitutional principle,' they said, referring to existing central laws like the wetland rules and NGT rulings.
'We have lost nearly 95% of our original wetlands in Bengaluru. What remains is barely 5%, and now even that is under threat,' said Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor, Coalition for Water Security and Citizens Agenda for Bengaluru. He added that buffer zones are not separate entities that can be tampered with, as they play a critical role in filtration, flood mitigation, and providing sanctuary for flora and fauna.
Drawing from satellite data, he said, 'In 1970, Bengaluru had over 70% green cover and 20-30% wetlands. Today, green cover is down to 2-3%, wetlands are just 4-5%, and concrete has taken over 95% of the city. This kind of destruction is a one-way path to environmental collapse.'
Ram Prasad, co-founder of Friends of Lakes, said, 'The government doesn't have the courage to remove illegal constructions in lake buffer zones. Instead, they are trying to legitimise these encroachments by passing this bill. This is nothing but a pro-builder, real estate-driven move, done at the cost of public safety.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
3 hours ago
- Deccan Herald
Delhi Waqf board case: Court frames charges against Amanatullah Khan, others
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday framed charges against AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan and others in an alleged case of irregularities in the Delhi Waqf Board judge Dig Vinay Singh framed charges against Khan and others..5 BJD MPs, 1 from YSRC voted in favour of NDA-backed Waqf (Amendment) Bill.A detailed order is to the FIR, Khan, while working as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, illegally recruited 32 people in violation of norms and government guidelines.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Indian Express
Gurgaon environmentalist moves NGT over alleged encroachment, illegal constructions by temple trust in Sector 54
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Monday sought the response of the Centre, the Haryana government, the State pollution control board, and a temple trust in connection with alleged environmental violations in the Aravallis at Sector 54 in Gurgaon. The matter, which will next be heard on October 29, deals with alleged illegal constructions and encroachment by the Kholi-waale Baba Temple Trust at Haiderpur Viran, behind Suncity. The applicant, Vaishali Rana, Trustee, Aravallis Bachao, moved the Principal Bench of the NGT at New Delhi claiming that the encroachments not only threaten fragile ecological zones but also contravene legal mandates restricting any non-forest activities on notified forest land. She has sought the removal of encroachments attributed to the temple trust, restoration of the demarcated forest area to its original state, and a direction to the relevant authorities to ensure that no further encroachment or construction is permitted at the site. The petition also asks for directions for periodic monitoring and enforcement to prevent recurrence. 'The illegal constructions, borewells, road laying, and concretisation of natural features within the Aravalli forest area are in blatant violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Punjab Land Preservation Act, 1900 … encroachment on Protected Forest Land like expansion of the temple complex, cemented parking, metal sheds, and reconstruction of the road amount to illegal encroachment on protected forest land, which is impermissible under applicable forest and land preservation statutes,' the petitioner pointed out. The destruction of natural drainage and groundwater recharge systems due to the complete concretisation of a natural stormwater creek has also been flagged. Further, the petitioner has sought that the approximately 250-300 cattle, currently housed in the allegedly illegally constructed gaushala (cowshed) within the forest area by the Temple Trust, be safely relocated and rehabilitated to a lawful and appropriate facility. In an earlier petition filed before the NGT, Rana had highlighted the disappearance of ponds and water bodies at the Gwal Pahari and Badshahpur tehsils of Gurgaon.
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
Congress asked Tharoor to speak in Operation Sindoor debate, he declined: Sources
NEW DELHI: The Congress asked its MP Shashi Tharoor if he was interested in speaking during the Operation Sindoor debate in Parliament but he declined and instead expressed a desire to speak on 'The Indian Ports Bill, 2025', party sources said on Monday. There has been intense speculation on whether Tharoor, who led the delegation to the US among other countries, will be picked as a speaker by the Congress given that his enthusiastic endorsement of the government's action following the terror attack has soured his ties with the party. When asked whether Tharoor was asked to speak during the debate, a senior Congress functionary told PTI, "It is a practise that senior leaders are asked whether they are interested in speaking on a major issue. Gaurav Gogoi and K Suresh had reached out to him and asked if he was interested in speaking during the debate on Operation Sindoor, to which he said he is not interested and would like to speak on the ports bill." There was no immediate response from Tharoor on the assertion by the party sources. When asked whether he would speak in Parliament on Operation Sindoor, the seasoned Lok Sabha MP had earlier quipped to the media that he is on a "maun vrat".
