The NGT judgment imposed a new buffer zone of 75 metres for lakes and wetlands which will be a no-construction zone, as opposed to 30 metres of buffer earlier.
2) The NGT has also ruled that the buffer zone of the rajakaluves must be calculated from the edge of the drain, as opposed to the current norm of measuring from the center of the drain. This has to be followed for all future projects
3) The distances in respect of buffer zone specified in this judgment shall be made applicable to all the projects and all the Authorities concerned are directed to incorporate such conditions in the projects to whom Environmental Clearance and other permissions are now granted not only around Belandur Lake, Rajkulewas, Agara Lake, but also all other Lakes/ wetlands in the city of Bengluru,”
4) In May 2016, the NGT had increased the buffer zones around lakes from 30 m to 75 m. It stipulated the buffer zone even around SWDs at 50 m from the edge of primary drains, 35 m from secondary drains (big drains), and 25 m from tertiary drains.
5)
SC Sets Aside NGT Order Enlarging Buffer Zones Around Bengaluru Water Bodies;
6) A bench of Justices A K Sikri, S Abdul Nazeer and M R Shah allowed the appeals filed by the Karnataka government and others direction for maintaining a buffer zone and green belt of 75-metre in case of lakes, 50-metre for primary, 35-metre for secondary and 25-metre for tertiary 'Rajkulewas'.
