Despite orders, pollution board makes no move to punish Mantri builder
- Pollution Board fails to take action against builder for contaminating lake
- BBMP which is the custodian of lakes gives oral and written submission to KSPCB
- IFS officer Vidyasagar has directed KSPCB chief Lakshman to penalise Mantri Builders, KSPCB chief Lakshman says he is yet to get written submission.
- Officials say, board headed by politicians hesitates to take any action against polluters
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It's has been 11 months since IFS officer, and former Lake Development Authority, Vidyasagar directed the Karnataka State Pollution Board to take action against Mantri Builders and to impose a penalty of not less than ₹10 crore for polluting Subramanyapura lake. But the Pollution Board has failed to take any action as yet. The sources say the board headed by politicians may not initiate any action due to political compulsion.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Lakes division officials say that immediately after the direction from Lake Development Authority a team from BBMP lake division was sent to Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. “As we are one among the stakeholders, we had to record our statements. First, we gave an oral submission and later we also gave it in writing. As per the direction from the authority, we had to ask the penalising agency to impose a fine amount of not less than ₹10 crores for polluting Subramanyapura lake. Now the complaint is pending before the board, and it is for them to take action,” said Jagannath Rao, Deputy Conservator of Lakes, Forest, BBMP.
IFS Officer Vidyasagar along with other stakeholders had inspected the lake when residents complained about froth and illegal garbage dumping. The officer then told the Chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to record statements of the custodians of the lake and based on that notices were sent to the builder under KLDA Act for polluting the lake.
A senior official from BBMP said, unlike BBMP and LDA which are headed by bureaucrats, the KSPCB is headed by politicians. Any politician who heads a competitive post may be either under pressure from the government or be siding with the offenders or accused persons. “In this case, it is yet to be known which one of these factors is holding the KSPCB chairman from taking action against the builder,” said the official.
KSPCB Chairman Lakshman told Newsable that he is neither under pressure nor has any an ulterior motive in delaying the action. “The former lake development chief executive officer Vidyasagar has asked me to take action. He gave oral instructions and told concerned officials that he would give a written submission based on which I will have to initiate action. So far I haven't received any such submission,” he said.
