Green belt loss worries citizens

Green belt loss worries citizens
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Voicing serious concern about the reduced green belt areas in the BDA’s proposed Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) master plan for 2015, citizens called on the authority to include more areas in the future plan so that Bangalore retains its ‘garden city’ image.

At an interaction with BDA commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar organised by FKCCI here, a trade body member K. Muralidhar pointed out that the previous CDP had more extensive green cover whereas the proposed CDP had a substantial drop. ‘‘I hope by the next plan, the green cover will not completely evaporate,’’ he said.

Responding to a plethora of pleas to add more green belt areas to the proposed CDP, the commissioner said out of the total 1240 sq km that comes under BDA, 445 sq km had been earmarked as green belt.

‘‘For the first time we have identified 11.5 sq km area comprising tanks, valleys and lakes and these will be protected at any cost. Even areas where traditional raja kaluves (old storm water drains that led to valleys) passed, they will also be protected.’’

Stating that BDA has projected the city’s population as 88 lakh by 2015, he said for this kind of urbanisation, the BDA requires at least 2020 hectares per year. When M. Swamy, retired professor, pointed out that lung spaces were essential, Vidyashankar shot back: ‘‘If anyone has any suggestions as to where we could get this land and also increase green belt, we would act upon it immediately.’’

He also said there were more than 700 slums in Bangalore and BDA had written to the Karnataka Slum Clearance Board as to what extent of land they would need to shift or provide amenities for them.

Vidyashankar was at pains to state that people could write in till September 20.