PIL filed to save Pattandur Agrahara lake

BENGALURU: The Pattandur Agrahara Resident Welfare Association has filed a petition before the Karnataka High Court seeking directions to save the historic Pattandur Agrahara Lake in Kadugodi, Whitefield and to remove encroachments near the lake. The water body, spread across 13 acres, has a rich history. It dates back to around thousand years and it is believed that King Rajendra Chola built it in 1043 AD to mark the anniversary of his dynasty. Recent discoveries near the lake point to this fact, the petitioner stated.

The petitioner's advocate prayed that the state is duty bound to safeguard the lake and it was failing in its duty. The RTC of the lake has been changed from government property to a private property, the advocate said. An RWA member said that the state government has admitted before the court that the property was indeed a live lakebed. The changes in the land records are considered a contempt of court in an order passed by a high court bench.

Disputing it, the state argued before the court that a fraud was involved in the case and the law had been violated. When the petitioner's advocate prayed for an interim order to prevent any changes in the nature of the land, the court orally observed, “It is our duty to save the lakes, we will save the lakes. Leave it to us." The case was adjourned to July 7.
 
Plea against 2 irrigation projects

The high court on Monday ordered notices to the Central Groundwater Board, state government, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Energy and Wetlands Research Group, on a petition challenging the implementation of two minor irrigation projects by the state government. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari was hearing a PIL by Anjaneya, a resident of Chikkaballapura,  challenging the Koramangala and Challaghatta (K&C) Valley and Hebbala and Nagavara (H&N) Valley projects, which will supply secondary treated water to minor irrigation tanks in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru Rural  districts.

The petitioner sought directions to the authorities to review the projects and ensure that polluted industrial effluents are not supplied to minor irrigation tanks in the three districts. He contended that the residents are exposed to serious health hazards by drinking poor quality groundwater being supplied to these districts through the tanks. The groundwater is the only source of drinking water for the residents.

The petitioner stated that the K&C Valley project will fill 126 minor irrigation tanks in Kolar and Chikkaballapura districts by pumping 400 million litres of water per day and the H&N Valley project will fill 65 tanks by pumping 210 MLD of water to Bengaluru Rural, Urban and Chikkaballapura districts. The petitioner stated that he gave a detailed representation to the Chief Secretary, highlighting the harmful effects of these projects and specifically requested him to stop the projects. Also, a large amount of public money is being wasted on the pretext of providing water to the people, he stated.