BENGALURU: The High Court on Monday constituted a committee, headed by the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner, to monitor the 238 lakes in Anekal taluk.
The committee was told to meet once a month to review the condition of the lakes which have become places for dumping debris, garbage and sewage water.
Disposing of a public interest petition filed by the Karnataka Pradesh Bharatiya Kissan Sangha, a division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy observed, “We know that the lakes are being filled up with debris to make a layout and sell sites. We would like to know the status (condition) of lakes in Anekal taluk, where authorities, including the tahsildar, turn a blind eye to the lakes because of their lethargic attitude”.
The bench appointed environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy, Dr Nandini, secretary of Bharatiya Kissan Sangha, and others as the members of the committee.
The committee will also check illegal excavation of clay and sand from tanks, besides check the dumping of debris and garbage into lakes, it said.
Earlier, advocate Ramaswamy Reddy appealed to the court to issue directions to the government and agencies concerned to stop illegal and unauthorised excavation, extraction and removal of the sand, mud and also clay from the tank beds in the taluk and also prevent and stop the discharging of industrial effluents, sewage water into these tanks.