‘Will govt. engage agency to rejuvenate Vrishabhavathi?’

If not, HC would issue a direction in this regard

BENGALURU - KARNATAKA - 13/03/2020 : Vrishabhavathi river, a tributary of Arkavathy river, the erstwhile fresh water stream, today carry huge quantities of industrial, agricultural and domestic effluents from the western and southern part of Bangalore metropolis. On the Bangalore-Mysore Road, the Vrishabhavathi canal on the outskirts of Bangalore is a familiar sight. There is also a water treatment plant that was set up at a great cost just before Kengeri, in Bangalore. Photo: K Murali Kumar / THE HINDU

Considering the extent of damage caused to river Vrishabhavathi, the State government must appoint an expert agency like the CSIR National Environmental Engineering Research Institute for taking steps to protect and rejuvenate the waterbody, the Karnataka High Court said on Monday.

If the State government doesn’t show willingness to appoint the agency, the court would issue a direction for appointing an expert agency, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok S. Kinagi said. The expert agency should supervise steps to be taken by all the authorities for protecting and rejuvenating the river, the court observed, while directing the State government to inform whether it will appoint such an agency.

The Bench was hearing a PIL petition filed by Geeta Misra, resident of Bengaluru. The petitioner had complained about industrial effluents and sewage being discharged into the river by residential, commercial and industrial units, in violation of statutory provision of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution ) Act,1975.