NGT issues ultimatum to Bengaluru District Magistrate over Kodichikkanahalli records

The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued an ultimatum to the Bengaluru District Magistrate’s office for failing to submit historical revenue records of stormwater drains in Kodichikkanahalli, near Madiwala Lake, Bengaluru. The tribunal gave officials a final four-week deadline to produce the documents, which are required to investigate alleged encroachments and sewage flow issues in the area.

The directive follows a failure by the District Magistrate's office to comply with a previous NGT order issued in February of this year. That earlier order had directed officials to place old revenue records on file to indicate the exact area of the waterbody and disclose whether any part of it had been encroached upon.

According to the latest NGT order, if the Bengaluru District Magistrate fails to submit the responses and records within the next four weeks, the official will be required to remain virtually present before the tribunal on the next scheduled date of hearing.

In addition to the revenue records, the green tribunal directed the Bengaluru South City Corporation (BSSC) to clarify technical issues regarding the discharge of untreated sewage into Kodichikkanahalli Lake. The scrutiny comes after the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), formerly known as the BBMP, filed an action taken report defending the construction of retaining walls on both sides of the stormwater drain adjoining the lake.

The GBA stated that the 2.5-kilometre RCC retaining walls were built under a state-funded Storm Water Drain (SWD) project designed to mitigate chronic flooding in low-lying areas, including Bilekahalli, Anugraha Layout Phases 1 and 2, Duo Layout, and Gulbarga Colony. The authority clarified that the walls were constructed strictly along the periphery of the lake following the existing boundary contours, without encroaching on the waterbody.

However, the NGT raised concerns about the functional design of these structures. The tribunal questioned whether the retaining walls, which rise above ground level, actually defeat the purpose of a stormwater drain by preventing water from flowing into it. The respondents have been asked to clarify this specific design aspect.

The legal action originated in October 2024, when the NGT took suo motu cognisance of a news report highlighting untreated sewage being discharged into a stormwater drain connected to Vakil Marina, a housing society in Kodichikkanahalli near Madiwala Lake.