A special commission that has been set up by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to inspect Bengaluru’s lakes slammed the Karnataka government saying that it had ‘miserably failed to discharge their obligations to the society and their duties,’ India Today reported.
“The biggest lake of the beautiful city of Bengaluru by sheer callousness and indifference of the authorities has become the largest septic tank of the city," the commission stated in its report.
Last February, the Union Ministry for Environment had ordered an inquiry into a fire that had broken out in the garbage strewn around Bellandur lake.
Due to several reasons, the main being dumping of construction waste and municipal solid waste, along with the spreads of hydrophytes (underwater plants) and microphytes, the lake’s water holding capacity has reduced.
Commission members also pointed out that the storm water drain outlets near the lake were discharging sewage and industrial effluents, which in turn were released into the lake.
The report also states the commission was shocked to find a road that was constructed in the Varthur lake by dumping C&D waste under the pretext of laying a pipeline.
The commission said that the directions of the National Green Tribunal have not been followed in "letter and spirit".
A bench headed by NGT acting chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim has reprimanded Karnataka government saying that the report submitted by the government was "incorrect and misleading".
Residents had earlier hit out at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials for their "lackadaisical" attitude in stopping garbage dumping.
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board Chairman Lakshman said notices have been issued to BBMP, Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board and other agencies to stop the dumping.
He also said the board is in the process of inspecting sewage treatment plants in the area.
The lake has been in news for the last one year for spillover of froth and toxic fumes.
