Despite the governor returning an amendment to reduce open spaces in urban areas across the State, except Bengaluru, the Urban Development Department is learnt to be keen on a similar reduction of open spaces in the city. But with a caveat — realtors must pay for creating alternate lung spaces. However, the green brigade is already seeing red and preparing to challenge the move in court.
In a July 2016 amendment to the Karnataka Urban Development Authorities Act, 1987, the government had reduced open spaces by five per cent, parks and playgrounds from 15 to 10 and civic amenity sites from 10 to five in all private layouts.
The UDD is preparing an amendment to the BDA Act, 1976, to effect the same – reduce open spaces, parks and playgrounds to 10 per cent from 15 and civic amenity sites to five per cent from 10, sources in the department confirmed. However, developers have to pay a cess for the five per cent additional space that will be made available for development, the money will be earmarked for afforestation. The cess will be in tandem with the guidance value of the land, sources said, which they hope will be the answer to the green brigade.
However, this proposal is similar to a BBMP circular issued in 2014 allowing realtors to pay a similar cess and use the mandatory 10 per cent open spaces in apartments for development. The order was stayed by the High Court.
N.S. Mukunda of Citizen’s Action Forum, who led the movement against the July amendment, said that they would again press the governor to reject any amendment and would also challenge it in the High Court and National Green Tribunal. “The argument of alternate open spaces doen’t hold any water. Open spaces are integral to the quality of air and health. Hence, they should be within the environs of the population settlement. There is no use of creating a forest far away, concretising my environs,” he said.
“The city had become prone to frequent floods since the surface area for seepage of water had reduced owing to heavy concretisation. In such a scenario, concretising residential layouts will worsen the situation even if you create alternate lung spaces elsewhere,” argues Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group.
Open spaces are integral to the quality of air and health. Hence, they should be within the environs
of the population settlement.
N.S. Mukunda
Citizen’s Action Forum
