NGT Warns Bengaluru Civic Agencies of Penalties Over Hosakerehalli Lake Drain Reports

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a final warning to multiple Karnataka civic authorities for failing to submit action-taken reports regarding encroachments in the stormwater drain buffer zone leading to Hosakerehalli Lake in South Bengaluru.

The green court granted a last opportunity to the Karnataka Slum Development Board, the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA), the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), and the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban. The tribunal warned that failure to comply would result in their replies being accepted only upon the payment of Rs 10,000 in costs each.

The tribunal pulled up the authorities during proceedings on encroachments along the drain's buffer zone. A spot inspection report submitted by the Deputy Commissioner last year revealed that the buffer zone contained two multi-storeyed buildings and 30 temporary sheds belonging to the Karnataka Slum Development Board. Following that inspection, the tribunal directed the municipal body, formerly the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and now the Greater Bengaluru Authority, to evict the occupants and clear the land.

The civic body subsequently sought an additional two months to finish the eviction process, stating that more than 1,000 people had already been removed from illegal occupation. The authority noted that the encroachments included both slum dwellings and private properties, adding that several private owners had occupied the land prior to 2007, before the buffer zone had been demarcated. It also submitted that finding alternate accommodation for slum dwellers posed practical challenges.

Authorities told the tribunal that one acre of land in Ravugodlu Village in Bengaluru Urban District had been identified to relocate the slum dwellers and facilitate the clearance of the encroachments. However, the NGT noted that officials failed to provide a concrete timeline for relocating the occupants and restoring the stormwater drain buffer zone to its original status.

Following those submissions, the NGT had ordered the BBMP, the Karnataka Slum Development Board, and the BDA to provide detailed reports detailing action taken, proposed measures, and specific completion schedules. Despite multiple instructions issued since last year, the required reports remained unfiled, prompting the green court to issue its final compliance warning.