Bangalore Lakes Under Scrutiny: NGT Probes Blocked Drains and Encroachments

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has demanded a response from the chief commissioner of BBMP and other officials concerning a Lokayukta report. The report highlights blocked stormwater drains and encroachments at Vibhutipura and Doddanekundi lakes in Bangalore, with significant concerns over water pollution and environmental protection compliance.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has turned its attention to the troubled waters of Bangalore's Vibhutipura and Doddanekundi lakes. In a directive, the NGT has called upon the chief commissioner of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and several other officials to respond to a Lokayukta report that unearthed crucial issues, including blocked stormwater drains and encroachments, plaguing these water bodies.

The NGT, led by Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava, noted alarming findings from the report. Vibhutipura Lake suffers from low water levels, even during the rainy season, owing to a blocked outflow path. Additionally, the lake's entrance gate was found mutilated, the fencing destroyed, and illegal structures erected within its vicinity. Similar concerns were identified at Doddanekundi Lake, raising substantive compliance issues concerning the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Environment (Protection) Act.

Parties summoned by the NGT include the BBMP chief commissioner, the chairman of Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and the member secretaries of both the Karnataka and Central Pollution Control Boards. Meanwhile, the counsel for Bengaluru's district magistrate has accepted notices, with responses expected by November 5 before the tribunal's southern zonal bench in Chennai.

(With inputs from agencies.)