BENGALURU: The High Court on Monday gave the State government time to till November to issue a proper notification to protect the Tippagondanahalli Reservoir (TGR) and its catchment area as per the recommendations of the Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute (EMPRI).
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Subhro Kamal Mukherjee and Justice B V Nagarathna gave this direction after hearing batch petitions against the pollution of the reservoir. Additional Advocate General Shivanna had sought four weeks time to study the report and take further action. On February 2, 2014, the division bench had directed EMPRI to conduct a study about the status of TGR and its catchment area and submit a report. EMPRI’s Centre for Lake Conservation submitted the report to the division bench recently.
The reports states, “The TGR is an important landmark that needs to be preserved by providing proper protection and by maintaining the reservoir. The sluice gates and treatment facility need to be maintained in proper workable condition.”
It suggested the state government take stringent action against those discharging industrial effluents into the river. Also in relation to the industries operating in catchment area a study may be carried out regarding the water usage by the industries, their source and disposal of waste water, EMPRI said.
EMPRI stated that illegal soil excavation and sand mining are being done at TGR, Hesaraghatta tank, stream bed of Arkavati and Kumudvati rivers and most of the lakes in the catchment area.
Health Hazard
“Untreated water is leaking to Manchanabele dam, where it is being used by the local population. Storage and use of such untreated water poses a major health hazard for the local people and this issue needs to be urgently addressed”, EMPRI said.
The Findings