The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Southern Zone has directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to stop digging at the Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Bird Conservation Reserve and Lake for laying pipelines.
After the Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust approached the NGT to restrain the BBMP from carrying out any activities, including digging of the earth and putting a huge pipeline in and around the lake, the NGT Southern Zone Vacation Bench has restrained the civic body from carrying out any further activity within the reserved area without obtaining permissions from the authorities concerned.
The Bench comprising Justice Arun Kumar Tyagi, Satyagopal Korlapati, and A. Senthil Vel has issued an order to the BBMP and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to stop the digging work.
“In view of the sustainable development and precautionary principles embodied in Section 20 of the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, respondents no. 2 (BBMP) and/or 6 (BWSSB) are restrained from carrying out any further activity of digging up of earth and laying of pipeline, including hume pipes, within the reserved area without obtaining permissions from the concerned authorities and they are also directed to take requisite remedial measures to prevent discharge of sewage into the lake,” the order states.
The order further stated that the activity of digging up of earth and laying of pipeline, including hume pipes, within the reserved area already carried out by respondents no. 2 BBMP and/or respondent no. 6 BWSSB will also be subject to further orders to be passed by this tribunal after hearing the concerned/aggrieved parties.
During the hearing, Subhash K. Malkhede, PCCF (Wildlife), Karnataka, submitted that no permission was obtained from the Wildlife Department and that the department had also issued a notice to BBMP under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and further action would be taken in accordance with law.
The counsel for the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) also submitted that the BBMP had applied for a grant of consent and the matter was pending with the KSPCB.
Prahalad, Engineer-in-Chief, BBMP, stated that due to heavy floods on May 22, sewage was mixed with the storm-water and part of it entered into the Yelahanka–Puttenahalli lake.
