Governor Objects to Proposed Reduction of Lake Buffer Zones in Karnataka

The Governor of Karnataka has returned the bill concerning the reduction of buffer zones around lakes and ponds back to the state government, requesting further explanation. The Governor’s decision follows the passage of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, which outlined changes to the buffer zones based on the size of the water bodies. Numerous objections were received by the Governor’s office concerning the bill. The Governor has requested that the government resubmit the file with the appropriate clarifications. The proposed bill stated that lakes up to 0.5 gunta would not have a buffer zone, while lakes up to one acre would have a 3-meter buffer. The buffer zones would increase with the size of the lake.