Will green belt move mask violations?

Will green belt move mask violations?
The Times of India

Bangalore: Will the “official’’ opening up of 248 sq km of the green belt area to accommodate 221 sq km of projected urbanisation result in camouflaging land violations?

Undoubtedly, the new move would rake in moolah for the government through hefty land conversion charges which is about Rs 75,000 per acre. But the moot question is: who will shoulder the responsibility of orderly growth in the green belt? While the government is all smiles about its “radical’’ move to relax the green belt as per suggestions in the masterplan, it has not spelt out its agenda to ensure regulated development or the authorities who would be monitoring it.

Simply put, over the last one decade, nearly 32 sq km of the green belt around Bangalore has been encroached upon.

This includes water bodies, tankbeds, valleys, and a majority of the violations are in the form of illegal layouts. Neither the BDA which is the local planning authority nor the BMRDA which has to give clearance for land conversion has checked the violations so far. And the fate of these constructions hangs in balance. “When the authorities could not check 4.3 per cent of the encroachments over the last 10 years, how do you keep tabs on development which will be spread over 221 sq km? Every road in the city has encroachments and the authorities are turning a blind eye to it,’’ urban planners said, adding that the leeway would give a legitimate cover to the violations.

Barring the catchment areas of Bannerghatta and Tippagondanahalli reservoir, government will open up selected portions of the green belt in eastern and northern parts of the city. While private lands situated in the identified 248 sq km of green belt will be converted without any hitches for further constructions, the government plans to create infrastructure on its lands, official sources said.

The green belt will accommodate a variety of developments. The masterplan for 2015 has projected the following growth — residential usage 280.63 sq km; commercial 38.6 sq km; mixed land use 90 sq km; industrial 54 sq km; transport and communications 85.22 sq km.
However, as per law, green belt has provisions for restricted development. It is nothing but agricultural zone which permits agriculture, horticulture, dairy, farming, milk chilling centres, highway amenities such as filling centres, weigh bridges and check-posts. Under special circumstances, the uses permitted are places of worship, workshop, school, library and residential development within the area reserved for natural expansion of villages.

Public viewing
The gist of the new masterplan has already been posted on the BDA’s website – www.bdabangalore.org under ‘news and events’ section. The BDA will shortly display 166 maps of the city covering 1,240 sq km of the local planning area for public viewing at Institution of Engineers, Queen’s Road. These satellite imagery maps are part of the new masterplan. To educate people about the recommendations of masterplan, BDA will have two presentations and interactive sessions daily for a week. Also, the entire masterplan will be put up on the website after its notification in the newspapers seeking people’s objections/suggestions.