The Karnataka High Court on Monday asked both the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to take up on priority basis the works related to storm water drains (SWDs), which carries sewage and industrial effluents along with rainwater to lakes in the city.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice Budihal R.B issued the direction while hearing a PIL petition.
The Bench asked elected representatives, NGOs, the elite and enlightened citizens, and the public to cooperate with civic authorities in the process of freeing SWDs of encroachments while pointing out that the survival of lakes and water bodies are vital for the city.
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The remark came after the counsel for the BWSSB said that the authorities concerned have been facing many problem, including threats in many cases, when they initiate action for clearing encroachments. The Bench emphasised that all the civic bodies involved in the process should work in tandem.