HC Slams Government Agencies for Failing to Curb Pollution Levels

The New Indian Express , Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Correspondent :
BENGALURU: The High Court on Monday came down heavily on the state government, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and BBMP for showing disregard to its earlier direction on bringing down noise and air pollution in the city.

While hearing a suo motu public interest petition initiated in September 2013 based on media reports highlighting the high pollution in Bengaluru, a division bench comprising Chief Justice D H Waghela and Justice Ram Mohan Reddy directed the state government to come out with a strategy to bring down the levels.

Observing that the pollution levels in the city were worse than in an industrial area, the division bench directed the Urban Development secretary to be present during the next hearing in the first week of March to explore ways to address the problem.

“Is the state government really taking the responsibility of coordinating with the KSRTC, BBMP and KSPCB to check the pile-up of old vehicles and entry of new vehicles which are contributing to traffic congestion? Government officials have become silent. Both BBMP and KSPCB should furnish monthly details of pollution levels in the city,” the bench ordered.

The KSPCB expressed its helplessness, saying that the state did not comply with its directions on bringing down the pollution level.

“What kind of organisation is this? There is laxity at every stage and your officials are simply drawing their salaries,” the bench said.

Referring to the directions by Justice M F Saldanha when he was a HC judge on a clean environment, the bench observed that the state can reduce traffic as well as noise and air pollution if the problem is analysed scientifically.

You have eaten away roads, SAYS BENCH

The division bench lost its cool when the BBMP’s counsel told the court that Cubbon Road, Raj Bhavan Road and others would be developed into model roads by improving the condition of footpaths, regulating cables and providing bus shelters.

Reacting sharply as these are good roads, the bench said: “It is like hospitalising healthy people. What about bad roads which need treatment? You have adopted strange methods and eaten away roads in the name of widening footpaths. Look at St Marks Road. Has your commissioner visited the spot?” It said that the footpaths were being widened three times more than required even though barely any pedestrian used them.

 
SOURCE : http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/HC-Slams-Government-Agencies-for-Failing-to-Curb-Pollution-Levels/2015/02/17/article2672720.ece
 


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