NGT objects Law Department's opinion over buffer zone of lakes

NGT objects Law Department's opinion over buffer zone of lakes

Bengaluru: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday took objection to a legal opinion by the State Law Department while interpreting its May 4, 2016 order that increased the buffer zone of lakes from 30 metres to 75 metres in Bengaluru.

During the hearing of a suo motu case pertaining to the recent Bellandur lake fire, the petitioners pointed to a circular issued by Urban Development Department (UDD) clarifying the May 4, 2016 order of the NGT. The bench took strong objection to the language of the Law Department, based on which the UDD issued the circular.

"In the legal opinion, the Law Department, while clarifying that plan sanctions given to projects before the May 4 judgment would stand since the NGT order was only prospective, had said that the NGT is a quasi-judicial body that had no authority to frame laws. Hence, the plan sanctions given before the NGT order were in tune with the laws made by legislative competence of the State, the opinion argued. This drew the ire of the bench," said a senior UDD official present at the NGT hearing.