Bellandur, Varthur lakes' restoration works delays due to Covid-19 pandemic: Karnataka Government

The Karnataka Government has informed National Green Tribunal that it would be difficult to meet the various timelines fixed to complete the restoration works of Bellandur and Varthur lakes in Bengaluru due to shortage of labourers.

The state government in its compliance report to the Green Bench about restoration of water bodies said that though the rejuvenation of works including de-silting and de-weeding was started, it was hit due to Covid-19 lockdown and shortage of workers.

Though work in started full swing, the contractors has been depending on large number of workers from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal. Due to lockdown, most of the workers have gone to their villages. Besides that, restriction on movement of inter-state vehicles also hampered the mobilisation of workers, said the Urban Development Department, Minor Irrigation and Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) in its joint affidavit.

Follow live updates on coronavirus here

"Bengaluru being in the red zone, no labourers from any other districts is allowed to enter the city. This has resulted in acute shortages of labour force. Hence the timelines fixed for identified works for Bellandur and Varthur lakes may not be achivable. Also, at present, the probable date of completion of all the works cannot be proposed till situation with respect to labourers and materials became clear," the state said.

The government also said that it has identified stone quarries in Vitasandra and Mylasandra villages near Bannerghatta, in Bengaluru South to deposit silt removed from lakes. The BDA will make arrangement to dump silt in these quarries.

Work on fencing of Bellandur lake has also started and is expected to complete by end of this year.

On the eviction of slums near Bellandur lake, the government said of the total 228 huts, 128 have been evicted and provided houses to those slum dwellers in the apartment constructed by Karnataka Slum Development Corporation. For remaining slum, action would be taken once the High Court stay vacated.

The NGT principal bench headed its Chairperson Adarsh Kumar Goel in December 2019 passed order suggesting various steps and fixed deadline for restoration of both lakes. The Tribunal also asked the state government to install Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) by September 30, 2020.