Green belt directed around BIA

The Lok Adalat has directed the State government to create a green belt around the Bengaluru International Airport in view of the increasing air pollution.

During the three-hour marathon hearing on Saturday, the environment experts brought to the notice of the Adalat that there had been an increase in the air pollution around the airport, with nearly 15,000 vehicles plying to and fro, every day.

The experts said the flight operations at the BIA too had been casting an impact on the ecosystem. Yellappa Reddy, a member of the Adalath, observed that the oxygen level had come down in the area. More than 500 flights operate from the airport, per day.

The Adalat Bench comprising Justice D V Shylendra Kumar and member Yellappa Reddy directed the Infrastructure Development Department, Urban Development Department, Bangalore International Airport Area Planning and Forest Department to create a green belt in a radius of 25 km of the airport.

Mining leases

The Adalat directed the Mines and Geology Department to cancel the mining leases within one kilometre radius of Bannerghatta National Park after observing that the Forest Department had identified 29 cases of mining in the area.

The Forest Department was asked to acquire 1,000 acres from Revenue Department to create drinking water facility for elephants so as to prevent human-animal conflict.