NGT summons govt officials

Demands action taken report

Pulling up the Karnataka government for its failure to address the pollution in the Bellandur lake in Bengaluru, National Green Tribunal on Thursday summoned top state officials to explain the action taken on its directions so far.

The NGT principal bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Additional Chief Secretary, who heads the Department of Urban Development, and Chief Executive Officer of the Lake Development Authority to appear before it on August 22 and submit a compliance report on its April 19 direction to protect the water body.

The bench asked the state government to explain how many big canals (rajakaluves) had been cleaned so far, how much waste was removed from the rajakaluves and from Bellandur lake, where the waste was dumped, what preventive steps had been taken to check effluents entering the water body and fire episodes in lakes.

Sajan Poovayya, senior counsel appearing for Namma Bengaluru Foundation, produced audio visuals on the fresh frothing in Bellandur lake and the plight of citizens.

The bench then said, “we have been reading in media what has happened in Bengaluru in the past two days.

While seeking time to file an affidavit explaining the steps taken to save the water body, the government advocate said due to a cloudburst, Bengaluru received unprecedented rain which resulted in froth spilling on to the roads.

Spikes govt plea
Refusing to accept the cloudburst plea, the bench said it would not give rise to froth and smoke.

Had you installed proper drainage systems, removed garbage, the situation would not have been like this, the bench observed. While the government claimed that all steps had been taken to honour the NGT direction, Povayya suggested appointing a court commissioner or a retired judge to assess the ground situation on implementation of the tribunal order.

On February 20, the NGT had taken suo motu cognisance of media reports and photographs of fire breaking out in Bellandur lake. The tribunal also directed the state government to take a number of steps to protect the water body, including closing down polluting industries in the vicinity of the lake.