BENGALURU: While suggesting the state to hire a global agency to clean the highly-polluted Bellandur Lake, the Karnataka High Court on Friday directed the Monitoring Committee headed by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) Commissioner Rakesh Singh to prepare a revised action plan and submit it within eight weeks. Taking stock of the present status of the lake from Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Development Department ) Mahendra Jain and Singh, the division bench of Justices H G Ramesh and Mohammad Nawaz said that giving eight weeks’ time did not mean that the committee could sleep over the matter. Both the officials had appeared before the bench on Friday.
Asking the Monitoring Committee to explore the possibilities available to clean the lake at the global level, the court asked why the state was not showing keen interest — like in the establishment of Indira Canteens — in this matter. The state has to appoint a global agency or experts to find a solution to the Bellandur Lake issue which has become a problem of Himalayan proportions, the court said. Though experts are available in India, the state has to look for a global agency for cases like this, the court said, likening global experts to doctors who are consulted to treat patients. The court also pointed out the city’s image being hit owing to the condition of Bellandur Lake, garbage and the traffic.
At the same time, the court also cautioned the state to ensure that the project should not be allowed to be beneficial to the contractor, resulting in wastage of money. There should not be a blame game among the different agencies included in the committee, who might pass the buck to others, the court said.
Meanwhile, Singh said that the Monitoring Committee was set up under his chairmanship. This committee also have officials of BWSSB, BBMP, KSPCB Revenue Department, as members and some non-official members.
Mahendra Jain said the setting up of sewage treatment plants are in progress and it is expected to be completed by 2020. The matter was adjourned to September 18. The court was hearing a PIL filed by Rajya Sabha Member Kupendra Reddy seeking directives to clean the tank.