In the recently concluded monsoon session, the Karnataka government introduced the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which amends the 2014 Act to define graded buffer zones around tanks based on their size, from 0 m for tanks under 0.05 acres to 30 m for tanks over 100 acres. Following this, the Urban Development Department issued a draft notification reducing the buffer zones of storm-water drains.

While there is no universally accepted definition of buffer zones, in many countries they are designated areas around waterbodies intended to minimise the negative impacts of human settlements. From an ecological perspective, buffer zones are considered “protected zones” that help mitigate the effects of human activity and land disturbance, while als

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