Panel to inspect 3 lakes this weekend

Following orders passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday, a panel constituted by the tribunal is set to carry out a two-day inspection of Bellandur, Agara and Varthur lakes.

Coming down heavily on the State government for not cleaning the lakes despite recurrent instances of fire, the green panel had on April 11 constituted a committee for inspection of the water bodies.

The bench headed by NGT acting chairperson Jawad Rahim further said that the committee will comprise a professor from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, the Commissioner of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), secretary of the Bangalore Development Authority and senior scientists from the Central Pollution Control Board and the State pollution control board.

“We will be inspecting the lakes on Saturday and Sunday as per the NGT orders. We will be submitting a report to the tribunal within two weeks,” said advocate Sumeer Sodhi, who is a part of the committee, along with two other counsels.

Rapping the Karnataka government for the ‘misleading’ action plan submitted by it, the bench headed by Jawad Rahim had said, “This is not expected from the State and the authorities concerned. We are constrained to record that the report contained is incorrect and it is not a compliance report to the directions issued.”

“The committee shall inform the tribunal about the extent of hydrophytes in the lakes along with the incidents of fire which have taken place till April 10, 2018, the condition of treatment plants around the lake, if any, and whether the apartments have obtained occupancy certificates from the authority concerned,” the bench had said.

Following recurrent incidents of fire in the lake, the bench had asked the State to submit a report on the physical removal of macrophytes (aquatic plants) from the lakes to prevent the fires.