KSPCB to start closing down industries today

Stung by censure from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) is set to close down 76 industries around Bellandur lake that were issued closure notices previously.

“We will start closing down the industries on Friday with the help of police,” KSPCB Chairman Lakshman said. “But if the industries are found to have installed effluent treatment plants (ETPs), are not discharging polluted water into the waterbody and have safety measures in place, we may revoke the closure notice.”

Lakshman said the closure notices were issued following an inspection by the KSPCB and the Central Pollution Control Board. “We hope the industries will close down voluntarily,” he said.

Previously, the board had considered closing down all the 488 industries located around the city’s largest lake but narrowed down the list to the highly polluting units following another inspection.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), which is responsible for the upkeep of the lake, says weeding the waterbody will take

at least three more months. On Thursday, the NGT gave one more month for finishing the task. BDA executive engineer Veersingh Nayak said the agency was doing its best to complete the task at the earliest. “We are cleaning 1-2 acres every day and collecting 90 tonnes of weed. The task will take more than three months,” he added.