NGT slams Karnataka for 'incorrect' action plan on Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake

NewsBharati    12-Apr-2018
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Bengaluru, April 12: Forming a committee to inspect the lakes in the city, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday slammed the Karnataka government over its action plan on Bengaluru's Bellandur Lake.

 

A bench headed by NGT acting chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim said the report submitted by the state government was "incorrect and misleading" and was bereaved of the actual action taken on the ground.

The committee would inspect Agara, Bellandur and Varthur lakes in Bangalore on 14 and 15 April. The committee has been directed to submit a detailed report after conducting an inspection of the lakes and inform the tribunal about the quantum of municipal solid waste generated by the apartments and other agencies in the vicinity of the water body.

The bench observed that the action plan submitted by the state contains incorrect and misleading information. The report submitted by the state does not convince us. There has been a default in compliance with the order of the tribunal.

Further it said that the green panel, which stopped short of imposing a fine on the state and its instrumentalities, formed a committee comprising senior advocate Raj Panjwani, a professor from Indian Institute of Science- Bangalore, a senior scientist from Central Pollution Control Board, the commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, the secretary of Bangalore Development Authority and a lawyer to be chosen by the senior advocate.

The tribunal had earlier knocked the state for not removing weeds and macrophytes from Bengaluru's Bellandur lake at regular intervals despite specific orders and directed it to submit monthly compliance reports.

The tribunal had directed the state government to produce sufficient material proof of the action taken in this regard and posted the matter for hearing on 11 April. On 29 January, the green panel had directed Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru to carry out a pilot study on the visible aquatic plants.

"Considering the role of macrophytes in rendering the quality of water in lakes below acceptable levels, it is necessary that the macrophytes menace is terminated once and for all," the NGT had said. Earlier, the green panel had come down heavily on the Karnataka government for not taking active measures to prevent recurring incidents of fire at the severely polluted Bellandur lake.