Government to take action against 11 officers for failure to check lakes' pollution in Bengaluru

The Karnataka government has informed National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it has issued notices to 11 officers of Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for failure to prevent the entry of polluting water to Bellandur, Varthur and Agara lakes in Bengaluru.

BWSSB ( Waste Water) chief engineer B C Gangadhar in his affidavit said that " the ACS ( Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Development Department of Karnataka Government) had submitted the list of officers, who were found responsible for failure in their duties to maintain the lakes. He submits that notices have been issued for initiating the action against them."

The affidavit says notice have been issued to 11 officers served in BWSSB between 2006 to 2014.

Those officers are S M Basavaraju ( Chief Engineer), S M Ramakrishna ( Chief Engineer), S R Roopa Kumar, S P Rudramurthy, V Mahesh, K R Manjunath ( All are Additional Chief Engineer), B M Purushotham, C Abdul Nazir, B N Siddagangaiah, C S Puttamallappa and B S C Soma Shekhar ( All are Executive Engineers).

The BWSSB also informed that it has taken a number of steps to prevent the entry of sewage water into water bodies and install sewage treatment plants in different places. It also identified places where sewage water enters into natural drains and works were in progress to check that, the BWSSB informed the Tribunal in its compliance report.

The BWSSB also sought more time to complete the setting up sewage treatment plants ( STPs) and other works due to the shortage of skilled workers. The BWSSB also said due to COVID-19 ) lockdown a large number of workers have gone home.

Principal Bench of NGT headed by its chairperson Justice Adarsha Kumar Goel hearing a petition filed by former Rajya Sabha Member Kupendra Reddy, in December 2019, asked the Karantaka government to take action against concerned officers who failed to take steps to prevent the entry of polluting water to lakes.

The green bench also suggested various steps and a fixed deadline for the restoration of both lakes. The Tribunal also asked the state government to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) by September 30, 2020.