No construction zone within 40 m of highway centre line in Karnataka

Under the Karnataka Highway Act 1964, the state government had issued notifications in 1998 and 2005, announcing that land up to 40 metre (m) from the centre of the state and national highway as no construction zone. Based on this notification issued by the government, the High Court (HC) had an order on 25 October 2021.The Public Works Department (PWD), based on this order, has issued notifications to 17 gram panchayats under the Udupi sub-division. According to the PWD, 40 m has to be set aside before constructing any new building. It had asked the urban and rural bodies to follow the order of the high court and the state government.Those who violate the order have been warned of legal action and imprisonment if found guilty. For the main roads in the district, 25 m from the middle of the road has been concluded as no construction zone. For reconstruction and renovation or expansion of existing buildings, the rule of 40 m stays. The state government can undertake a border survey and take possession of the buildings within the 40 m limit by paying compensation.The government can also use smallholdings where no construction is possible for the HC order to lay services like roads, signals, footpaths, drains etc. Image Source Also read: Karnataka to get 13 new highways worth Rs 21k cr