Karnataka HC orders probe into why sewers in residential area are linked to SWDs

The Anekal taluk had filed a case against Shantipura Residents’ Welfare Association in 2016 for connecting the sewage lines of Vinayaka layout to the storm water drain leading to a lake.
Karnataka High Court
Karnataka High Court
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The Karnataka High Court, on October 4, ordered an investigation to find out how the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department (RDPR) and other related government bodies permitted connecting an underground drainage system in a residential layout to storm water drains in Anekal, Bengaluru. According to The Hindu, the Court also said that the person conducting the investigation must not be below the rank of a Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) and must be appointed by the Director General and Inspector General of Police. The government bodies concerned including the Revenue Department, the Land Records and Survey Settlement Department, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the Lake Development Authority, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) must cooperate with the investigation, the court added. 

The Anekal taluk had filed a case against Shantipura Residents’ Welfare Association in 2016 for connecting the sewage lines of Vinayaka layout to the storm water drain leading to a lake. Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the interim order in response to a petition filed by the office-bearers of the Shantipura Residents’ Welfare Association questioning the legality of this case. The petitioners contested that they were not responsible for this connection as the sewer connecting the underground drains to the storm water drains was commissioned by the RDPR department under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. Due to this, the Karnataka High Court found it necessary to conduct further investigation into the matter. 

The Court added that there needs to be further investigation as there is no information on who approved the construction of the drain, who constructed it, and who made the payment for it, among other important details. Apart from this, the Court also felt it was necessary to initiate a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition on this issue as it has far-reaching impact and is of public importance. The Court then directed the Registrar General to place the petition before the Chief Justice for appropriate action.

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