Karnataka floats tenders for Chandapura Lake clean-up

After being pulled up by National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Karnataka minor irrigation department last week floated tenders worth Rs 25.30 million to carry out the restoration of Chandapura and Muthanallur lakes in the Anekal taluk of Karnataka by clearing encroachments. According to the department, the restoration work has to be completed by mid-2023, before the onset of monsoon. The work involves desilting the lakes and making arrangements for the natural treatment of untreated water flowing into the lakes. The revenue department has been asked to conduct surveys of the lakes and remove encroachments. Moreover, the bidder will also be responsible for the maintenance of Chandapura Lake for a period of two years. The NGT last month imposed an environmental compensation of Rs 5 billion on the Karnataka government for its failure to maintain Chandapura Lake. It had taken cognisance of a newspaper report and constituted a joint committee to look into the violation of buffer zone and solid waste management guidelines at the lake. The minor irrigation department has specified that all the relevant designs and drawings by the bidder for the restoration plan should be scrutinised by institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) or the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). See also: NGT slaps Rs 38 bn fine on Telangana governmentSoon, Ludhiana to begin bioremediation of legacy waste