The state government will soon resubmit the controversial Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, with details highlighting the relevance of the changes introduced, noting that none of the large lakes in Bengaluru city will be affected by the proposed changes in buffer zones.
The Bill, popularly referred to as the Buffer Zone Bill, passed during the Monsoon Session of the legislature, was returned by Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot in September, saying the government should increase the buffer zone around lakes rather than decrease it.
Minor Irrigation Minister N S Boseraju said the amendments to the Bill were introduced based on petitions from several elected representatives and after the chief secretary held multiple meetings with relevant departments on the issue.
“Except MLAs and MLCs from Bengaluru, all other legislators have welcomed the Bill. When we look at the petition submitted to the Governor, it is clear that the Bill was returned based on complaints from Bengaluru,” he said, noting that all the existing lakes in Bengaluru were above 50 acres and will remain unaffected by the changes.
It is “harmful for every citizen, affects the citizens’ right to water security and a healthy environment”, the Governor had said while returning the Bill.
The Bill had amended the buffer zones of lakes based on the size of water bodies, compared to the existing uniform 30-metre buffer zone where construction activities are not permitted. It proposed buffer zones for lakes based on their size.
Lakes smaller than 0.5 acres will not have a buffer zone. Lakes sized between 1 and 10 acres will have a buffer of 6 meters. For lakes that are between 10 and 25 acres, a 12-metre buffer will be established. Lakes with an area of 25 to 100 acres will require a 24-metre buffer. According to the Bill, a 30-metre buffer zone will apply only to lakes larger than 100 acres.
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Boseraju said that, back in 1999, the government notified a 30-metre buffer for all lakes. Following this, many, especially from the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, petitioned the government to reduce it as even smaller lakes had large buffer zones. Legislators from the region welcomed the Bill in both houses, he said.
Of the 41,840 tanks in the state, around 22,000 are within village panchayat limits with an area of less than 20 acres, for which changes to the buffer zone will be required. In all large lakes exceeding 100 acres, a 30-metre buffer zone is maintained, the minister said, recalling that the Bill was formulated after considering similar legislation in 15 states.
“In Tamil Nadu, the buffer is three metres while it is nine metres in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
“After observing other states, the amendments were introduced in the public interest. The government will resubmit the Bill with the clarifications sought by the Governor soon, he added.