<p>Bengaluru: The Assembly on Monday passed the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill seeking to rationalise buffer zones with Minor Irrigation Minister N S Boseraju specifying that only government activities will be taken up near water bodies. </p>.<p>The Opposition BJP walked out in protest as the government did not agree to send the Bill to a house committee.</p>.<p>The Bill seeks to amend the buffer zones of lakes according to the size of the lakes: three metres from the boundary of a lake measuring up to one acre, six metres for lakes sized 1-10 acres, 12 metres for lakes sized 10-25 acres, 24 metres for lakes sized 25-100 metres and 30 metres for lakes above 100 acres.</p>.Karnataka: BJP sees Cong high command's hand in 'smear campaign'.<p>BJP legislators were themselves divided on the issue. While coastal BJP MLAs welcomed the move by citing hurdles to build houses otherwise, the Bengaluru MLAs of the saffron party expressed their reservations.</p>.<p>Leading the charge, BJP’s Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar demanded a house committee to vet the Bill, which he described as “unscientific” and “anti-environment”. </p>.<p>Kumar said governments must protect lakes and the environment as per Directive Principles of State Policy.</p>.<p>“This (Bill) is a symbol <br />of surrender by the government to the real estate lobby,” he said. </p>.<p>However, BJP’s Kundapur MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi welcomed the Bill. “Most of the lakes in the coastal region are small. If not for area-wise buffer zones, we cannot build houses in the coastal region. We welcome this Bill on behalf of the coastal regions.”</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, told the Assembly that no builder had approached the government about reducing the buffer zones.</p>.<p>Shivakumar explained <br />that the move was the on the back of elaborate discussions on the issue in the entire country.</p>.<p>Boseraju told the Assembly that there were 41,849 lakes in the state, of which only 178 were in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>“Even in Bengaluru, for lakes like Sankey Tank, the 30-metre buffer concept is not being applied even now,” he added.</p>.<p>Suresh Kumar took exception to a point in the state of objects and reasons in the Bill, which explained that the area-wise buffer zones were being introduced to permit construction of public utility activities such as industrial activity, recreational and commercial within the specified buffer zones.</p>.<p>At this point, Boseraju <br />clarified that the said point in the Bill had been revised, and that the new version had clarified that these zones can only be used for government activities.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Assembly on Monday passed the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill seeking to rationalise buffer zones with Minor Irrigation Minister N S Boseraju specifying that only government activities will be taken up near water bodies. </p>.<p>The Opposition BJP walked out in protest as the government did not agree to send the Bill to a house committee.</p>.<p>The Bill seeks to amend the buffer zones of lakes according to the size of the lakes: three metres from the boundary of a lake measuring up to one acre, six metres for lakes sized 1-10 acres, 12 metres for lakes sized 10-25 acres, 24 metres for lakes sized 25-100 metres and 30 metres for lakes above 100 acres.</p>.Karnataka: BJP sees Cong high command's hand in 'smear campaign'.<p>BJP legislators were themselves divided on the issue. While coastal BJP MLAs welcomed the move by citing hurdles to build houses otherwise, the Bengaluru MLAs of the saffron party expressed their reservations.</p>.<p>Leading the charge, BJP’s Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar demanded a house committee to vet the Bill, which he described as “unscientific” and “anti-environment”. </p>.<p>Kumar said governments must protect lakes and the environment as per Directive Principles of State Policy.</p>.<p>“This (Bill) is a symbol <br />of surrender by the government to the real estate lobby,” he said. </p>.<p>However, BJP’s Kundapur MLA Kiran Kumar Kodgi welcomed the Bill. “Most of the lakes in the coastal region are small. If not for area-wise buffer zones, we cannot build houses in the coastal region. We welcome this Bill on behalf of the coastal regions.”</p>.<p>Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru Development Minister, told the Assembly that no builder had approached the government about reducing the buffer zones.</p>.<p>Shivakumar explained <br />that the move was the on the back of elaborate discussions on the issue in the entire country.</p>.<p>Boseraju told the Assembly that there were 41,849 lakes in the state, of which only 178 were in Bengaluru.</p>.<p>“Even in Bengaluru, for lakes like Sankey Tank, the 30-metre buffer concept is not being applied even now,” he added.</p>.<p>Suresh Kumar took exception to a point in the state of objects and reasons in the Bill, which explained that the area-wise buffer zones were being introduced to permit construction of public utility activities such as industrial activity, recreational and commercial within the specified buffer zones.</p>.<p>At this point, Boseraju <br />clarified that the said point in the Bill had been revised, and that the new version had clarified that these zones can only be used for government activities.</p>
