BENGALURU: Despite residents highlighting the issue of pollution and indiscriminate dumping of debris in Yele Mallappa Shetty lake, and the National Green Tribunal Principal Bench at Delhi registering a suo motu case two years ago and issuing a series of directions, the government has failed miserably in implementing them. The Green bench had issued directions on protection of the water body, removal of encroachments and prevention of garbage dumping in the buffer zone of the lake.
The residents, who are monitoring the lake and its surroundings daily, are shocked to notice debris and heaps of mixed waste being dumped on the KR-Puram-Hoskote side.
“The debris and garbage cause sludge, and this seeps into the lake. Besides, concentrated sewage from the sewage treatment plant is also entering the lake. In addition to existing encroachments of the lake and its buffer zones, fresh encroachments are found, and layouts and liquor shops have come up,” said Jagan Kumar, who had petitioned the Green bench for stricter implementation of its order.
Kumar stated that on the pretext of seeking an approach road to a burial ground, the builders’ lobby is trying its best to have a road built to unauthorized layouts in the area.
The committee set up by the government following the NGT order, found 9.39 acres of encroachment, and officials claim that a majority of encroachments have been removed, and hardly one acre is left to be cleared. “Fencing of 9.5km was taken up and only 2km is pending, and this will be covered soon,” said Vasu, Assistant Executive Engineer, Minor Irrigation department, which is the custodian of the tank.
Meanwhile, a source said raw sewage coming from SS Layout in Basavanapura is also a concern. Commercial and illegal buildings have come up in the 36-acre layout over the last five years, which is why sewage flow has increased.