BENGALURU: A public interest petitioner moved the Karnataka High Court, alleging that various events to be conducted as part of the proposed Cauvery Aarti inside Sankey Tank to be held on March 21 night will affect birds and temporary or permanent structures to be put up in the lake’s buffer zone is against the law.
When the matter was mentioned on Tuesday for urgent hearing, the division bench of Chief Justice NV Anjaria and Justice MI Arun asked the peitioner’s counsel to file an interlocutory application so that the bench can hear it.
Advocate GR Mohan, representing Geetha Misra who filed a public interest litigation in 2019 on the protection of water bodies, mentioned before the court that they are not against the aarti, but are against the activities inside the lake that are against the law.
Even erecting temporary constructions in the buffer zone is against the law and activities of the proposed event to be conducted by the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board will affect the nightlife of birds at the lake, he alleged.
The petitioner contended that the event is a gross violation of the provisions of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act. The recreation activities planned and being advertised would cause immense disturbance to birds housed at Sankey Tank. A direction should be issued to the authorities concerned, including BWSSB, to stop the activities inside the buffer zone, the petitioner prayed the court.