The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and the minor irrigation department to file independent reports on the actions taken against encroachment and pollution of the Yele Mallappa Shetty lake in eastern Bengaluru on or before March 31. 🗞️ Subscribe Now: Get Express Premium to access the best Election reporting and analysis 🗞️ The tribunal has also directed the minor irrigation department to submit a report regarding the construction of a sewage treatment plant (STP) within the water body. “We had directed them to ascertain any possibility of relocating the STP from the boundary of the water body. But quite unfortunately, they have not filed any independent report in this regard,” the NGT said. While the BBMP has stated that they have removed the construction and demolition (C&D) waste from the waterbody and deployed marshals to protect the lake, the petitioner Jagan Kumar has refuted the claims and told The Indian Express: “There are encroachments in the lake by the government and private bodies. Buildings have come up and there has been no action taken yet. There is a direct discharge of waste in the lake and construction of an STP is also taking place within the water body itself. Moreover, the dumping of C&D waste has been rampant.” The lake located in KR Puram is spread over an extent of 508.39 acres of which more than 21 acres have been gobbled up by private and government agencies. Official records state that more than 11 acres have been encroached by the government agencies and more than nine acres by the private bodies, which include the construction of buildings. In its compliance report submitted to the NGT, the BBMP stated there have been no encroachments. “However, a letter has been addressed to the Assistant Director Land Records East Taluk to show by making a mark as to exactly where lake bed areas end and where buffer zone ends. This would help the BBMP to take steps in accordance with the law,” the BBMP compliance report read. A lake activist Balaji Raghottam said: “A year ago, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa visited the lake and ordered the minor irrigation department engineers to take up rejuvenation of the lake. We were elated but the situation is worsening now. There is too much debris and garbage being dumped right inside the lake. We request the minor irrigation department to look into the issue on priority and save this lake. The marshals should be deployed to prevent the dumping of debris.”
