Parts of green belt open for development

Parts of green belt open for development
With a projected population of 88 lakhs in the city, parts of the green belt is being opened for restricted development, says Leena Mudbidri


Bangalore is growing exponentially and so is the city's population. At the current growth rate, which stands at 3.25 percent annually, the city's population is expected to reach 8.84 million by 2015. To meet the burgeoning demand of an expanding city, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) revised the Comprehensive Development Plan - Master Plan 2015 - to include an additional 277 sqkm of the green belt areas around the city for development over the next 10 years.
Green belt
In the Master Plan 2015, the green belt area in the north Bangalore which had been opened up for industrial development was retained. The new plan includes protecting the Tippagondanahalli catchment area and the Bannerghatta National Park but opens up the old green belts on the eastern and western sides of the city for restricted development. The opening up of the green belt in these areas, especially in the western side, will primarily foster vertical development and ease the burden on the CBD (central business district).
One of the major recommendations of Master Plan 2015 is to maintain and strengthen the green belt to preserve the city's natural assets and biodiversity. The draft was however modified to open up an additional of 277 sqkm of the green belt area for further development. Now, the Bangalore Metropolitan Area (BMP) or Local Planning Area (LPA) is 1,306 sqkm, of which conurbation area or area for development is 790 sqkm, and the green belt and agricultural areas are 455 sqkm.
Proposed development areas
The LPA is delineated into 47 planning districts (PD), based on planning parameters. The green belt areas in each district also include forest land, lakes and villages falling within the PDs.
Type of permissible development
The green belt has been opened mainly in the west between Mysore Road and Tumkur Road, and in the east between Bellary Road and Hosur Road. According to A V Rangesh, Town Planning Member, BDA, "The kind of development in these green belt areas will be restricted to non-industrial development such as educational institutions, hospitals and healthcare, parks and other non-polluting sectors."
List of permissible
sectors in green
belt areas
Agro processing units using locally produced agriculture produce as raw materials
Urban amenities such as burial grounds, education and health institutions, sports grounds, stadium, playgrounds, parks and garden land
Public utilities such as solid waste land fills, water treatment plants, power plants, fuel stations and other highway amenities such as weigh bridges, check posts, toll gates, having access to major roads Agriculture, horticulture, dairy, milk chilling centres, farm houses and accessory not exceeding 250 sqm of plinth area within the plot area limitation of 1.2 hectares limited to ground plus first floor.
Clubs, cultural buildings, exhibition centres, storage and sale of farm products Service and repairs of farm machinery
Brick kilns
When the land is more than 40 hectares in extent, golf course along with ancillary uses like administrative office, guest rooms/guest houses and restaurant are permissible