Can't cover stormwater drains: BBMP tells HC

The BBMP informed the high court on Thursday that it cannot cover stormwater drains, but said that work on the construction of chain-link fencing and removal of silt from the drains was under progress.

K N Puttegowda, advocate for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), submitted an affidavit filed by the civic body’s chief engineer for SWD before the division bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice S R Krishna Kumar, stating that the National Green Tribunal had issued an order not to cover but desilt SWDs and keep them clean.

The NGT had further directed the Central Pollution Control Board to issue such directions of general nature throughout the country, he stated.

The BBMP also informed the court that the authority has taken several steps to prevent accidental deaths during the rainy season and distributed compensation to the kin of the victims who had drowned in the SWDs.

The division bench directed the BBMP to produce the copy of the directions issued by the NGT and submit a report on the compliance steps taken to construct the fencing.