After a scramble against time to clean up Bellandur lake over the past month, various civic agencies will plead for more time as the critical National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing gets under way on Thursday.
Nearly a month ago, the State government and civic agencies came under heavy censure from the green tribunal for “apathy” over the treatment of the lake. The censure seemed to have worked, with officials starting processes for the implementation of the action plan that could potentially revive the lake. This, said officials, is reflected in the responses filed to the NGT on Wednesday. But is this enough?
Mahendra Jain, Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development), who visited the lake multiple times over the past month, seems to think so. “Different agencies have done their bit. We have reflected this in the affidavits filed. Many of the actions, including STPs (Sewage Treatment Plants), de-weeding or wetlands, will take time, but there has been significant action on the ground,” he said.
This includes the cleaning of solid waste being dumped around the lake, desilting of the channels, and fencing along the lake and drains which were identified as susceptible to illegal garbage dumping, he said.
The Bangalore Development Authority has started de-weeding the lake, but even officials said it would take a minimum of four months. Installation of aerators, filtration systems and desilting of the entire lake remains only in the discussion phase.
Similarly, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is looking at the technicalities of bio-remediation (bio-mechnical wetlands within Storm Water Drains) while submitting that the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority has identified 140 acres where wetlands can be developed, but this would again take a minimum of nine months to be operational.
Flurry of notifications
Apart from this, a flurry of notifications have been issued: KLCDA threatening ₹5 lakh as fine if anyone is found dumping garbage in lakes; BWSSB warning of strict action if apartments which are not connected to underground drains do not transport their raw sewage to STPs.
On Varthur bridge, the newly erected barricade has fallen onto the road, thereby affecting traffic on Varthur Road.
Officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, which filed its response on Wednesday, said they have informed the court that scores of industries — out of 488 identified within the vicinity of the lake — had been closed, while notices had been sent to some of the 157 apartments, hotels and hospitals that were inspected over the past few weeks.
However, K. Yellappa Reddy, a member of the committee that chalked out a detailed action plan for the clean-up last year, said the clean-up continued to remain mired in bureaucracy, with many of the important processes still in tender phase.
“Time can be asked for construction of STPs. But, what about implementing the Water Act and shutting down all polluting industries near the lake? Why hasn’t action been taken to remove encroachers from the lake?” he asked.
