Survey Finds 8.32 Guntas of SWD Buffer Encroached in Yelahanka

A survey conducted by the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban in Kothihosahalli village of Yelahanka has revealed that 8.32 guntas of a stormwater drain buffer zone and Kharab land have been encroached upon, according to a report submitted to the National Green Tribunal.

The site inspection and survey, conducted in January, found that the land had been filled with soil and occupied by structures and works, including a compound wall, a gate, and a road, according to the Bengaluru North City Corporation.

According to the survey report, the jurisdictional tahsildar must now demarcate the encroached portions of government land, Rajakaluve, Nala, or buffer zone, and issue an order for the removal of the encroachments. The order will enable the Greater Bengaluru Authority to take further steps to demolish and clear the encroached structures.

The inspection was initiated following an order from the National Green Tribunal, which acted on a petition filed by a citizen a couple of years ago. The petitioner sought enforcement of tribunal orders to protect the stormwater drain and its buffer zone, demanding that no construction be allowed within the drain, the buffer zone, or state-owned B-Kharab land.

The petition had also requested authorities to issue notices to the property owner to halt ongoing construction and clear encroachments on the drain and Kharab land. It highlighted that the prescribed buffer zone for a secondary stormwater drain in the area had not been maintained on the ground or in the project records available with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board.

Following the petition, the NGT constituted a Joint Committee comprising representatives from the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, and the Collector, Bengaluru. The tribunal instructed the committee to inspect the site alongside the applicant and a project proponent representative to verify the facts and take remedial action, designating the KSPCB as the nodal agency for compliance.

The NGT has reiterated that buffer zones around drains, lakes, and surface water bodies must remain protected. In 2025, the state government issued a notification prescribing buffer zones for stormwater drains in the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area—15 metres for primary drains, 10 metres for secondary drains, and 5 metres for tertiary drains—though the notification remains challenged in the High Court.