Special court commissioner to visit Bellandur lake for spot inspection

A special commissioner appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) will visit Bellandur lake any time after August 22, when the state government submits its affidavit and present ground details on the condition of the lake.

This will be the first time a court commissioner will visit the polluted lake. “The commissioner is likely to be appointed by the NGT in the next hearing,” said Sridhar Pabbisetty, petitioner and CEO of Namma Bengaluru Foundation. Special court commissioner to visit Bellandur lake for spot inspection


Conservationists and officials from various civic organisations in Bengaluru are now hoping that the commissioner is neither from Bengaluru nor from the expert committee as their opinions and reports could be biased.

Meanwhile, Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) officials are trying to clear the froth to put up a good show before the NGT. But citizens living around the lake and experts point out that it is a mere eye wash and that their system of introducing sprinklers is of little help to clean the lake.

“Sprinklers will serve no purpose when the froth level increases and covers it. The lake does not froth in the day, but frothing happens at night and when there is no rain. The stench is also too high and has not been controlled,” said Sonali Singh, member of Citizens Watch Group.

Almitra H Patel, member of the Supreme Court Committee on Solid Waste Management and Swachh Bharat Mission, National Expert told DH that what BDA is doing is just an eye wash.

Who is controlling froth?

Raaginii Jaain, Swachh Bharat Mission, National Expert and head of ‘Gitanjali Envirotech’ said the BDA has stopped her from continuing with the microbial bio-culture treatment on the lake.

“I had contacted BDA Commissioner Rakesh Singh. He had agreed to use the treatment. However, I asked him for written orders, but he told me to start work and orders will follow. But nothing has been done, I have been stopped from continuing with the treatment process, which I did from Friday to Sunday,” she said.

She pointed out that the photograph which has been published in these columns on Monday showed her team members erecting bags as a part of the treatment process to control the frothing.

“I never said that I can do magic in 24 hours. I had said in 24 hours I will be able to control it. The froth has come down. I worked for three days, one day I did a free demonstration also and so far have introduced 450 litres if microbial bio-culture in the lake,” she said.

P N Nayak, BDA Engineer Member agreed that they asked Raaginni to stop her work. “We had allowed her to work on condition that she will stop the frothing in 24 hours. But that went on for 48 hours. The froth has not been stopped. We have realised that the froth has come down because of sprinklers and so that will only continue,” he said.