Bangalore: All conversion of sites from agricultural lands to non-agricultural lands and approval for layouts will be stopped for the next five months in six zones around Bangalore city, Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) Commissioner Sudhir Krishna said here on Monday.

Addressing presspersons, he said conversions had been halted as the BMRDA, area planning authority for the metropolitan area, was in the process of developing master plans for six zones around Bangalore — Nelamangala, Magadi, Kanakapura, Anekal, Hoskote and the taluk area around Ramanagar and Channapatna (called Area Planning Zone 1).

The master plans would incorporate road networks, make space for green spaces and prohibit encroachments on ecologically sensitive areas in these zones. Layouts already developed in the six zones would be incorporated within the plan, Mr. Krishna said. The master plans were on the lines of the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) that the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) proposed recently.

The BMRDA has set a deadline of five months to complete groundwork for the master plans. "Survey work of about 3,500 square kilometres covered by these zones has been outsourced to different agencies. We are also working with Indian Space Research Organisation to develop data using satellite imagery and computerisation," Mr. Krishna said.

The concept of a master plan was mooted to control the haphazard development of layouts outside Bangalore. "A master plan is important for the development of Bangalore Rural district as these regions will later become the future Bangalore," he said. Groundwork on the master plans would cost the BMRDA about Rs. 1.5 crore, Mr. Krishna said.

As of now, only the Bangalore International Airport Area Planning Authority (BIAAPA) and the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICAPA) have detailed master plans.

The Outer Ring Road spanning 288 kilometres would be developed and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) had been requested to undertake the project, Mr. Krishna said. An intermediate ring road of 190 kilometres and radial roads leading to Bangalore city are also being planned, he said.

These roads would connect all the taluk areas and ease out congestion in Bangalore, as highway traffic would bypass the city and travel on the ring roads, he said.

Mr. Krishna cautioned the public against buying lands in illegal layouts. A list of approved layouts has been put on BMRDA's website "www.bmrda.org" and a drive would soon be launched to educate people about buying sites at properly approved layouts.

Real estate developers are worried with the halt in land conversion and layout approvals. "We welcome the master plan. But whether it will be finished within five months is highly questionable. Until then, we can neither sell nor develop the land," complained one developer after the press conference.

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