NGT dismisses review plea, State has to deposit Rs 500 crore to revive lake

BENGALURU: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday dismissed the Karnataka government’s plea to review the tribunal’s earlier order directing the state to deposit Rs 500 crore in an escrow account to rejuvenate Bellandur lake.

The New Delhi bench of the NGT, before pronouncing the December 6 order, had taken exception to the state government’s negligence of Bellandur, Varthur and Agara lakes. The order had directed the Karnataka government to deposit the amount in an escrow account to be utilised for execution of action plans to clean the water bodies as per the Panjwani Committee report. The bench had also directed the state government and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to deposit an environmental compensation of Rs 75 crore.

The state, in its review petition, contended that the direction to create a Rs 500- crore escrow account is beyond the statutory jurisdiction of the tribunal.


The tribunal dismissed the plea saying it does have the powers of a civil court and could issue such directions. The previous order was passed after dealing with the facts and circumstances of the case in detail right from 2014, the NGT said, In its last order, the NGT had also formed a committee chaired by former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde to monitor implementation of lake development plan. The panel, which had its first meeting towards the end of January, has decided to do a field inspection on February 17.