Bengaluru: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) Principal Bench, Delhi on Tuesday came down heavily on the BBMP for the language used in the circular dated March 30 and charged at the counsel representing Karnataka. The case has been adjourned to Thursday.
The Tribunal lambasted the counsel representing the state, saying the interpretation of its order dated May 4 was not right, and asked, “By what authority have you clarified our judgement.”
The Urban Development Department had in its circular said that the NGT is a quasi-judiciary body and has no jurisdiction to frame such rules. It interpreted the buffer zone, saying that the layout and development plans have been issued based on the laws and rules framed by the planning authority. The NGT order will not be applicable for the layout plans approved already, it had said.
The NGT directed all the officials concerned, who approved and issued the plans, to be present on Thursday for hearing.
Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) brought the BBMP circular to the Tribunal’s notice on Wednesday, highlighting the civic body’s dysfunctional governance with regards to the city’s lakes.
The Tribunal expressed serious concern over the apathy of the officials present in the courtroom regarding the exactitude of the sewage being treated or dumped in Bengaluru’s water bodies.
MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “The NGT is the only institution that is helping citizens save Bengaluru from this vicious, shameless and apathetic nexus of builders, government officials and politicians. I hope the NGT moves to hold the government officials accountable.”
Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said, “We welcome NGT taking note of the blatantly wrong BBMP circular that was trying to create ‘loopholes’ for builders with lakeside projects. We have protested the Urban Development Department’s very strange legal interpretation to circumvent the NGTs order dated May 4, 2016 in the Bellandur lake encroachment.”
