Agriculture Slowly Became Second option for Landlords
If the choice was between farming and real estate, the latter is clearly the winner for people in the TG Halli area as it offers monetary benefits with far less hard work. Agriculture has slowly became a second option for landlords here. Farmers, too, started converting their fields into 30 ft x 40 ft sites and selling them to Bangaloreans, who find the prices very attractive.
The catchment area of TG Halli reservoir covers about 4,351 sqkm and has been declared a green belt, where no development activities other than agriculture is allowed. There are at least 22 industries and 33 godowns which have come up in violation of the BDA zoning regulation, and BDA has slapped notices on them. Apart from residential layouts, even industries are raising their ugly heads in the green belt, especially in the villages of Makali and Heggadavenapura near National Highway 4, and all of it has an ecological impact on the area.
Villages of Makali, Alur, Heggadadevanapura, Kithnalli, Kadabagere, Sondaragoppa in Bangalore North come under the green belt where more than 300 houses have been built. Some were constructed after the zone was declared a green belt. As per the Revised Master Plan 2015 approved by the government in June 2007, any construction activity, building, layout or industries operating from the green belt is violation of land usage.
“In the green belt area, no buildings can come up. But these villages have been existing here for centuries. What alternative employment or livelihood can the government provide us? No interaction has taken place with farmers so far, but politicians are giving media statements about a buffer zone cleared to restore water bodies. The government must look into these issues,” Shivaprasad H, a resident of Makali village, said.
catchment area of TG Halli reservoir, Encroachments at TG Halli reservoir, Heggadavenapura, Makali, Sondaragoppa in Bangalore, TG Halli reservoir, TG Halli reservoir green belt
