Shut down 76 industries around Bellandur lake immediately: NGT

Tells KSPCB: closure notices not enough, you must seal them forthwith

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered Karnataka on Thursday to immediately shut down 76 highly polluting industries in the vicinity of Bellandur lake in Bengaluru. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar made it clear to the state government that issuing closure notices to the polluting industries was not enough. The authorities concerned should close them down as per an earlier order of the bench.

The bench is hearing the case pertaining to multiple fire accidents in Bellandur lake, which it had taken up on its own on February 20 on the basis of media reports and photographs.

The tribunal grilled the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on its assertion that 76 out of 97 industries had been closed down as per the NGT’s April 19, 2017, order. The bench sought to know whether the industries were really closed down or were just issued closure notices. The KSPCB replied that only closure notices had been issued. The tribunal then reminded the KSPCB: “Under Section 33A of the Water Act and Section 5 of the Environment Protection Act, you have (the) powers to physically inspect, shut down and seal the polluting industries. This is what was expected by the tribunal in its April 19 order to shut the polluting industries.”

The tribunal also expressed unhappiness at the slow clean-up of the lake by saying: “Don’t waste time on making 100-200 page reports, instead work.” The NGT directed the joint investigation team comprising KSPCB, BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) and BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) to ask all the industries to instal effluent treatment plants (ETPs).

If the industries do not comply within a reasonable time, disconnect their electricity and water supply and seal them, the bench said. The bench directed the government to give reasonable time to residential and commercial complexes in the vicinity of the lake to set up sewage treatment plants (STPs) and if they fail to do so, their water and electricity supply should be disconnected.

This apart, the tribunal ordered the KSPCB to collect samples of water discharged by existing industries in the vicinity of the lake and get them inspected by the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, to ascertain the kind of effluent they are letting out. It, however, gave the government another month for cleaning the lake and adjourned the hearing until July 13.