City Kemp News
The residents of Koramangala, Bellandur and HSR have planned a peacefull protest on Sunday 7th June at 9.30 am on Sarjapur Road opposite Agara Lake where the controversial Mantri SEZ project is coming up.
Their contention is that the massive illegal SEZ project coming up near Bellandur lake will cause irreversible damage to the lake, surroundings, and most importantly, to water availability.
If the project is allowed then the BWSSB will be supplying 150 million litres of water per month to the project that equals the amount about 37,500 residents’ use. That much water is not being supplied to the entire Koramangala, HSR and Bellandur areas PUT TOGETHER. The builder lobby will get their 150 million litres of water because of their clout and residents won’t even have tanker water to supply their needs becasue the project will affect their ground water levels, what they say.
It is alleged that the massive illegal SEZ project coming up near Bellandur lake will cause irreversible damage to the lake and the surroundings.
Also water channels have been destroyed by filling mud even before the environment clearance. Hence there is a real threat of floods and back flows effecting Koramangala and HSR areas because the natural flood plains of Bellandur wetlands will be destroyed by this project.
“Mantri has taken BWSSB approval for water supply for 18 individual apartments, while 18 blocks are being constructed. Bellandur lake will vanish if this project is allowed to proceed”, they say.
Lake Development Authority (LDA) says “Drastic impact with deleterious effect upon Bellandur lake”
THE COURTS HAVE RULED, BUT…
National Green Tribunal fined builders 139Cr. in landmark judgement in May 2015, making scathing indictment of Ministry of Environment and State environmental bodies for allowing this project on wetlands. But the court did not scrap the project, instead a High level Committee appointed to decide the fate of this ill-conceived project.
IISc Center for Ecological Study says – “Proposed plan to set up SEZ by KIADB needs to be stopped and wetland to be restored”.
KIADB says – “Had I known about it I would have taken action long back”.
National Green Tribunal has declared the builders guilty of intentional and blatant violations and has imposed hefty fines. The builder is allegedly a well known serial offender. This is just one of the illegal constructions the builder is allegedly involved in. If you want water to be available for your apartment, join the protest.
STOP The Agara SEZ; Residents to protest on Sunday
