NGT appeals to BBMP, BDA to address the monitoring committee regarding restoration of Bellandur, Agara lakes

National Green Tribunal has appealed to the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagere Palike (BBMP) to address the Monitoring Committee led by retired Supreme Court Judge Santosh Hegade pertaining to the subject related to the restoration of Bellandur, Agara and Varthur lakes based in Bengaluru.

“The issues raised in both the applications (BDA and BBMP) can be first looked into by the Monitoring Committee in the course of considering remedial measures for restoration of the lake. The Committee has necessary experts to assist. The Tribunal has already laid down broad parameters for carrying out the restoration work, consistent with the environmental concerns,” revealed the Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel headed NGT Principal Bench.

A number of petitions regarding the restoration of Bengaluru’s Bellandur, Agara and Varthur lakes in Bengaluru which also includes preventing discharge and dump of the polluting agents, eliminating enroachments from the catchment areas and other steps involved in the restoration process and protocols.

Amicus Curiae Raj Panjwani had intimidated the Bench regarding setting up the Biodiversity parks within the lake boundary and around the periphery of the lake boundary.

He further said that an inquiry should be organized about the illegality in pipelines by the Minor Irrigation Department and the construction of wall should not decrease width of water bodies.

The BBMP had asked permission for building a stormwater drain and BDA seeked for permission to create bio-diversity parks at the presented locations in Bellandur and Varthur lakes. To this, the Bench revealed the Monitoring Committee led by Santosh Hegde to look into these issues.

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