Bellandur lake froth: NGT summons top Karnataka officials
Pleading the tribunal to take note of this incident he said people are having a nightmarish experience due to flood water on their streets and houses and the government not following the green bench order. File photo
Pulling up the Karnataka Government for its failure to address the pollution in Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, the National Green Tribunal on Thursday summoned the state government's top officials to explain what action the government took on directions issued by it earlier, on August 22.
The NGT Principal bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar directed that the Additional Chief Secretary to Department of Urban Development and Chief Executive Officer of the Lake Development Authority should be present in the court and submit a compliance report on its earlier direction issued on April 19 on protecting the water body.
Sridhar Pabbisetty, the advocate representing Namma Bengaluru Foundation, brought to the notice of the Bench saying that fresh froth emanated from Bellanduru lake and its water spilt over to streets of the surrounding areas due to rain for the past two days.
Pleading the tribunal to take note of this incident he said people are having a nightmarish experience due to flood water on their streets and houses and the government not following the green bench order.
The Bench was not amused at the state government advocates plea that heavy rain in the city was due to cloud burst which caused flooding in parts of the Bengaluru.
On February 20, the NGT had taken suo moto cognizance of media reports and photographs of the incident in which fire broke out in the Bengaluru lake and issued notices to the Union Environment Ministry and different agencies of the Karnataka government in the case asking them to submit the report about the steps taken to prevent such things.
The NGT also earlier directed the state government to take a number of steps to protect the water body including closing down the polluting industries in the vicinity of the lake.
