PIL on project to fill tanks with treated water

The High Court of Karnataka on Monday issued notices to Central Ground Water Board , state government, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Energy and Wetlands Research Group while hearing a petition challenging the implementation of two minor irrigation project by the state government.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by R Anjaneya Reddy, a resident of Chikkaballapur, who has moved the court challenging the implementation of Koramangala and Challaghatta (K&C) Valley project and Hebbala and Nagavara (H&N) Valley Project which will result in supply of secondary treated water to the minor irrigation tanks in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural districts.

The petitioner has sought for directions to review the entire project and ensure that polluted industrial effluents are not supplied to minor irrigation tanks of Kolar, Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural districts.

The petitioner has contended that the residents are exposed to serous health hazards by drinking the poor quality water being supplied to these districts through the minor irrigation tanks. The ground water is the only source of drinking water for the residents.

The petitioner has stated that the K&C Valley project will fill 126 minor irrigation tanks in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts by pumping 400 MLD (million litres per day) of secondary treated water and the H&N Valley project will fill 65 minor irrigation tanks by pumping 210 MLD of secondary treated water to Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban and Chikkaballapur districts.

The petitioner stated that he had given a detailed representation to the Chief Secretary, highlighting the harmful effects of these projects and specifically requested for stopping the project. He also highlighted the fact that a huge amount of public money is being wasted on the pretext of providing water to the people. The court adjourned the hearing to July 4.