Karnataka High Court Stays NGT Order to Shut Industries Near Bellandur Lake

Bengaluru: Karnataka high court stalled an order from National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Friday asking local bodies and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board to shut the industries releasing effluents to the Bellandur lake located in the state capital. Hearing a petition filed by Shashi Distilleries Pvt Ltd, chief justice SK Mukherji and justice PS Dineshkumar released a stay order on the notice sent from pollution control board to close the company following the direction from NGT principal bench in New Delhi.

The petitioner stated in the petition that the NGT bench in Chennai is responsible for hearing any issue related to environment and a case pertaining to pollution in Bengaluru doesn’t come under the purview of the principal bench in New Delhi. The move by the NGT bench in New Delhi is the violation of NGT Act 2010 Column 10. 

Earlier, in a petition to NGT, Rajya Sabha MP Kupendra Reddy alleged Bellandur lake is highly polluted and is being contaminated by the effluents released by nearby industries in the area. Following the petition, NGT asked the state pollution control board and local self governments to shut the companies directly responsible for Bellandur lake pollution. 

The high court bench on June 16 also served notice to Karnataka state government, BBMP, BESCOM and others to file their response in connection to the issue.