New Delhi, Apr 22 (KNN) The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered the industries located Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru to be shut.  The industries were served closure notice by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB)

A bench headed by NGT Chief Justice Swatantar Kumar said the industries violating directions should be sealed by the State Pollution Control Board and should not be allowed to operate. In case they are found operating, the must be fined with an amount of Rs5 Lakh.

The move by the NGT and the Pollution Control Board have caused a lot of distress among the MSMEs operating in the region.

Talking to KNN, Praveen of the Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association said that while they respect the NGT’s decision concerning the pollution that is being caused to the Bellandur lake, but the shutting all the industries in the region at once is quite harsh. “Not every industry in the region is adding to the pollution of the river, the authorities should take this into account” he added.

Explaining the situation further he said that the board should categorize the industries and then come to a decision. Shutting the industries in one go is not a right move.

Talking about the problems that the MSMEs are likely to face because of the judgment Praveen said “20 per cent of the industries in that region are small scale, and these units have pending bank loan commitments and consignment commitments, it is going the be disastrous for the MSMEs”.

Suggesting alternatives, Praveen added that the NGT must provide appropriate time frame for the industries to relocate.

Bellandur Lake is the largest of the 262 lakes and tanks in Bengaluru. It receives about 40 per cent of the city's sewage.  The water body had caught fire due to formation of flammable methane gas in May 2015 and August 2016. (KNN/ DA)