Bhartiya City’s Next Big Rs 732 Cr Project Clears Environmental Hurdle
Bengaluru:
Bhartiya Urban Pvt Ltd, developer of the 125-acre Bharatiya City township, has secured environmental clearance for a major residential project at Navarathna Agrahara in Jala Hobli, Bengaluru North — even as scrutiny mounts over its ecological impact.
The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) granted the initial clearance on December 7, 2024, allowing construction of a 4.5 million sq. ft. mixed-use development spread across 11.78 hectares of non-forest land.
The project will house 2,394 units across multiple high-rise blocks, with a projected cost of ₹732 crore.
The clearance comes with stringent conditions:
- A 1,910 KLD sewage treatment plant using SBR technology.
- 1,475 trees to be planted before construction.
- 1,712 cubic metres of rainwater storage with 105 recharge pits.
- Minimum 25% of parking slots with EV charging points.
- Commitment to rejuvenate Tarabanahalli Lake upstream of Chikkajala as part of its corporate environment responsibility.
In March 2025, the authority issued a corrigendum correcting project details, confirming there is no kharab land on the site and revising the green belt area to 38,881 sq. m, a substantial 33% of the project footprint.
These approvals follow a baseline environmental study (Jan–Mar 2024), which monitored air, water, soil, and noise quality within a 10-km radius of the site. Sampling was done at nearby villages including Navarathna Agrahara, Sadahalli, Tarabanahalli, and Yerthiganahalli, as well as water bodies such as Navarathna Agrahara Lake and Elathore Lake.
While SEIAA’s clearance allows the developer to move ahead, activists say implementation will be key. North Bengaluru has seen rapid urban expansion at the cost of groundwater depletion and disappearing lakes. Ensuring compliance with tree cover, wastewater reuse, and lake rejuvenation will determine whether Bharatiya City sets a new benchmark or adds to the region’s ecological stress.