The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has pulled up KSPCB officials who “have not even realised their authority” in enforcing waste water treatment and taking action against errant builders.
A bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayan and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati was hearing a petition by J Jagan Kumar, who had sought action against an apartment in Seegehalli in Bengaluru East taluk. The petition had alleged that the apartment had encroached upon the stormwater drain.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has been found lacking several times over the course of hearing the petition. The tribunal noted that the officials have failed to take action despite available evidence.
“Though the matter is pending from the year 2022 and several directions have been given to the official respondents, including calling for the report of (a) joint committee, it appears that no action has been taken for the violations committed by the project
proponent.
“The officials, particularly, the KSPCB has not even realised their authority in this regard,” the bench said.
The bench noted that the builder did not comply with the condition to install a sewage treatment plant (STP) of 233 KLD, but the builder provided a 208 KLD-capacity STP adequate to treat the 227.30 KLD waste water generated by the apartment.
The NGT directed KSPCB regional officer DP Mahendra to personally present himself during the next hearing and file an affidavit to explain why action was not taken, “failing which it will be viewed very seriously”.
In May, the tribunal had expressed surprise over the KSPCB’s silence over the violations even though the builder acknowledged that he has shifted the STP to avoid conflict with rules.
“Surprisingly, the report of the State Pollution Control Board does not mention the STP and whether it is within the required capacity and in the right place,” it said.