BWSSB tanker releases sewage directly into a stormwater drain

Bengaluru, Sep 22: The video of a BWSSB tanker releasing sewage directly into a stormwater drain in front of Hosmat Hospital in Bengaluru went viral. Lakshmikanth M, who works with United Bengaluru, uploaded the video on Twitter. The video clip was retweeted several times. As on Saturday evening, it garnered over 2,500 views.

"This is how our lakes are getting diluted. What I saw on Wednesday explains why Bellanduru is getting polluted," Lakshmikantha tweeted, raising alerts across social media.

Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar brought the issue to the attention of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and calling the incident as result of the 'inept, corrupt and callous' coalition government.

Violation of NGT order:

The blatant violation of law comes even after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has imposed Rs five lakh fine discharge of waste in lakes and rajakaluves in Bengaluru. The tribunal held CEOs and the Senior most Officers of the Lake Development Authority, Pollution Control Board and the Bangalore Development Authority responsible compliance of the order in its 2017 verdict.

The NGT verdict clearly stated, "No waste of any kind including municipal solid waste or C&D or domestic waste shall be dumped into the lake or on the buffer zone of the lake which we have already fixed in terms of our judgement dated 04th May, 2016. If anybody is found to be dumping waste of any kind either in the lake or in its buffer zone, shall be liable to pay environmental compensation of Rs. 5 Lakh per event. The CEOs and the Senior most Officers of the Lake Development Authority, Pollution Control Board and the Bangalore Development Authority, shall be personally responsible for compliance of this order, without default and delay."