Palike in spot for closing SWD to build swimming pool in Laggere

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is in a spot for closing a storm water drain in Laggere by installing hume pipes and building a swimming pool and other structures in the area, prompting the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ask rationale for such a project in “water-starved” Bengaluru.

Hearing an application by S R Ganesh, a bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati noted that it would be better to keep large open drains to recharge groundwater.

“It would be better to keep it open as it exists. Considering the condition today in Bengaluru, which is water-starved, closing these kinds of open canals by installing hume pipes would only affect the natural water seepage and percolation which will impact the water table,” the bench said.

The BBMP, accused of closing the drain and its buffer zone, had said the original size of the drain was small but the canal became large gradually due to the force of the rainwater flow due to the absence of side walls.

“Due to the construction of unauthorised buildings in and around the canal, an enormous amount of mud has been filled on the canal bank which has increased the height of the canal. Therefore, it was decided to place hume pipes for a distance of 0.8 km to take rainwater to the nearest waterbody,” the palike submitted.

The bench, however, noted that reducing the size of the water carriageway was not the answer for the issue. “From the pictures produced before us, it is evident that these canals are running through a thick residential area. If laying hume pipes by closing Rakshasa Halla would impact the water table, the BBMP should have to look for other alternatives instead of reducing the size of the water carriageway,” the bench said.

The tribunal took note of the BBMP’s additional works, including the construction of a swimming pool, school building and a park taken up after the work on the drain and asked the BBMP to explain the rationale for the work undertaken by the officials. It said a qualified official not less than the rank of a superintendent engineer should be present in the next date of hearing.