U V Singh, a member of the newly-constituted committee on Bellandur and Varthur lakes, inspected the two waterbodies on Wednesday to take stock of the ground situation.
Anticipating his visit, officials of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and the Public Works Department (PWD) lined up to greet and guide him.
This was the third independent visit of the sites undertaken by the former Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer to verify the work done on the ground following the submission of progress reports on the works by officials from various agencies.
Singh surveyed parts of the lakes where the fire had occurred, besides inspecting the dumping sites, mounting garbage, encroachments around the lakes and works taking place at the lakebed and the surrounding places.
Besides Singh, the panel is made of heads of the KSPCB, the BDA, the BBMP, a Central pollution control board member and Prof T V Ramachandra, of the IISc.
The panel, headed by former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde, will hold a meeting on January 30 to discuss preparing its first report to be submitted to the NGT.
The tribunal has constituted the committee to oversee the time-bound progress of works undertaken on the two lakes and submit a report. The panel is also tasked with reviewing the action plan prepared by the state government and if the government strictly follows it.
Officials on the ground said Singh pulled them up for the dumping done in a haphazard manner around the lakes. He expressed displeasure over the slow progress in setting up the sluice gates and sewerage treatment plants while offering them guidance on how to take the work forward, the officials added.