SC restores Bengaluru's Bellandur, Varthur lakes' pollution case to NGT

Three years after the National Green tribunal (NGT) disposed of the case of pollution in Agara, Bellandur and Varthur lakes, the Supreme Court has handed them back to the tribunal.

In response to a petition filed by former Rajya Sabha member Kupendra Reddy, the NGT issued landmark orders, including time-bound action plans and protection of the lakes’ buffer zones, besides forming a monitoring committee.

Read | When Bengaluru lakes go into limbo

A year later, the green panel disposed of the cases, including a suo motu case it took after burning of the Bellandur Lake captured international headlines. Reddy moved the Supreme Court seeking restoration of the case, saying several issues in the petition are yet to be addressed.

On Friday, hearing the arguments of Reddy’s advocate P Ramprasad, a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Vikram Nath restored the case and directed the NGT to decide the petition by their merit.

The Kupendra Reddy case brought lake pollution to the mainstream.

In December 2018, the NGT ordered the state government to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account and Rs 50 crore with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for cleaning up the lakes.

The BBMP and BWSSB were also told to deposit Rs 50 crore and Rs 25 crore, respectively.

“Encroachments on the lake land still persists,” Ramprasad told DH, vowing to fight on till the lakes are cleaned up.

“Other reliefs include an underground drainage (UGD) network for all houses and establishments in the area, compliance with municipal solid waste disposal rules and lake encroachments,” he added, stating that pollution of the three lakes contributes to the contamination of the Dakshina Pinakini river.