Ban on construction of new apartments in Bengaluru? Govt mulls 5 year moratorium

Karnataka Deputy CM Dr G Parameshwara said that they were considering such a proposal in order to tackle the drinking water crisis in Bengaluru.

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With Bengaluru reeling from water shortage, the Karnataka government is now mulling a moratorium on construction of new apartments in the city for the next five years. Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister Dr G Parameshwara on Thursday said that the proposal comes in the wake of apartment residents, especially in the city’s suburbs, relying purely on tanker water for their drinking and domestic purposes.

“Bengaluru has numerous apartment complexes and many keep coming up. With builders of apartments going ahead with construction and sale of apartments without making adequate arrangements for a basic necessity like drinking water, the state government is seriously considering clamping a five-year ban on granting permissions for construction of apartments,” Dr G Parameshwara said.

Speaking to media the Deputy CM said that the rampant use of tanker water led to residents suffering from skin ailments and other health hazards. “We will discuss the issue of imposing a five-year moratorium on permissions for construction of apartments with all builders and developers in the coming weeks and will make a decision,’’ he added.

The government’s proposal comes in the view of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s ongoing Cauvery Water Supply Phase. The BWSSB’s project, which aims at providing drinking water connections to the suburban areas of Bengaluru, is likely to be completed in the next five years.

“A five-year moratorium will ensure that each and every household gets Cauvery water connection before new apartments come up. But we must also take into consideration that the new constructions will come up due to increase in population. The question is whether the developers can come up with a way to provide 24-hour clean water supply for drinking and domestic purposes,” a source said.

DCM Parameshwara also said that concerned officials have been directed to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Linganamakki Project, which aims at diverting water from Netravati River to Bengaluru, Kolar and Chikkaballapur to meet drinking water requirements.

“As the Linganamakki proposal is facing opposition, steps will be taken after examining the pros and cons. This will happen only after DPR is ready,” he said.