National Green Tribunal
News Item Titled Sea Of Toxic Foam In ... vs Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board ... on 15 July, 2025
Author: Satyagopal Korlapati
Bench: Satyagopal Korlapati
Item No.08:-
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
SOUTHERN ZONE, CHENNAI
[Through Physical Hearing (Hybrid Option)]
Original Application No.14 of 2025 (SZ)
[Earlier O.A. No.1374/2024 (PB)]
IN THE MATTER OF:
Tribunal on its own motion SUO MOTU
based on the news item in NDTV.com
dt.05.12.2024 titled "Sea of Toxic after dam
discharge surplus water"
With
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board
Through its Member Secretary,
Chennai and Ors.
...Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 15.07.2025.
CORAM:
HON'BLE Smt. JUSTICE PUSHPA SATHYANARAYANA, JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE Dr. SATYAGOPAL KORLAPATI, EXPERT MEMBER
For Applicant(s): Suo Motu.
For Respondent(s): Mr. S. Sai Sathya Jith for R1.
Mrs. P. Jayalakshmi represented
Mr. D.S. Ekambaram for R2.
Mr. R. Thirunavukarasu for R3.
Dr. D. Shanmuganathan for R4, R5, R7.
Mr. Rajat Jonathan Shaw represented
Mr. Darpan K.M. for R6.
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ORDER
1. The action taken report dated 04.04.2025 of the Chief Secretary to Government, State of Karnataka, is filed in O.A. No.111 of 2020 (SZ).
2. The said report speaks about the flow measurements, performance study of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), sewerage network, water quality monitoring and analysis, and also the random verification of industries/ establishments.
3. As per the above-referred report, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has proposed to construct 10 new STPs with a proposed capacity of 313 MLD and obtained administrative approval for 04 STPs and they are in the tender stage. For the remaining 06 STPs, an estimate of Rs.1200 Crores is prepared, which also would commence shortly.
4. It appears that there are 531 industries/ organizations located within the catchment area of the Dakshina Pinakini River. Of these, 272 industries are reported to be in compliance with the norms prescribed by the Board. Out of the remaining, 58 organizations discharge sewage into the existing Underground Drainage (UGD) system with permission from the BWSSB, and 27 organizations are stated to be non-operational. The remaining 11 organizations have been found to be non- compliant, and show cause notices have been issued to them by the Karnataka SPCB.
Page 2 of 75. Regarding the environmental compensation for the STPs, with respect to the catchment area of Bellandur Lake, as of February 2025, a sum of Rs.4.165 Crores has been collected and a few of the organizations have approached the Hon'ble High Court and the matters are pending consideration before the Hon'ble High Court.
6. So far as the current crisis is concerned, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has allocated a sum of Rs.100.3 Crores and is said to have made significant progress in the rejuvenation of Bellandur Lake. Out of the total 12.26 Km perimeter of the lake, chain link fencing has been installed for 11.26 Km. With respect to Varathur Lake, 97% of physical progress and 94.46% of financial progress have been achieved out of Rs.53.8 Crores financial allocation. Further, 8.06 Km of chain link fencing has been constructed around the lake's perimeter.
7. The report finally states that the polluted river stretch of the Dakshina Pinakini River is under consideration for rejuvenation and a report is being prepared by the Deputy Commissioner - Bengaluru Urban and Bengaluru Rural Districts in consultation with the stakeholders and will be submitted in two months' time. The report also states that for the completion of the entire sewerage line connectivity, it will require time till December 2025.
8. The report dated 14.07.2025 filed by the Secretary to Government, Water Resources Department, State of Tamil Nadu, states that the Thenpennai River (as it is known in Tamil Nadu) traverses through minor irrigation Page 3 of 7 tanks in Chikkaballapur District, Bengaluru Rural District, Bengaluru Urban District and then enters into the State of Tamil Nadu. Before descending the interstate border into Tamil Nadu, the overflow water from Bellandur and Varathur Lakes carries the domestic sewage of Bengaluru into Thenpennai River and thereby causes frothing of the river stretch from the Tamil Nadu border up to Kelavarapalli dam.
9. The report also states that the Chief Secretary to Government, State of Tamil Nadu, has already made a request to the Chief Secretary to Government, State of Karnataka, to instruct the stakeholders to ensure that untreated sewage and effluents are not let into the Thenpennai River and its tributaries and the Karnataka SPCB to monitor the same.
10. The report also refers to the Negotiation Committee of the Thenpennai River water disputes, which was formed to solve the interstate water dispute over the Thenpennai River. The said Committee has conducted nine meetings in the year 2024 with members from the Government of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, along with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
11. The above Negotiation Committee has visited the disputed project sites of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in the Thenpennai River basin from 08th to 10th June 2024. The Committee has stated that incoming water at the Page 4 of 7 anicut is appearing highly polluted, blackish in colour, foamy and emanating a bad odour. Upstream of the anicut is of thick cover of hyacinth. The Committee also noticed that the Kelavarapalli Reservoir appears highly polluted. The river water, after being released from the reservoir, is seen full of thick white foam.
12. The above Negotiation Committee also visited the Varathur Tank, Karnataka, on 10.06.2024 and found that the foreshore of the tank is seen to be full of algae and a thick cover of hyacinth. The officials from the State of Karnataka had informed that untreated sewage from residential localities around the tank is polluting the water and the stream on which the tank is located. Regarding the Yelemallappa Chetty Tank, Karnataka, it was observed by the Committee that the untreated sewage water of Bengaluru City is being fed into Yelemallappa Chetty Tank, which is polluted and covered with water hyacinth.
13. Hence, the State of Karnataka has to take immediate action to avoid the inflow of untreated sewage in the river as recommended by the Joint Committee appointed in O.A. No.111 of 2020 (SZ). The State of Tamil Nadu also opined that there is an urgent need to upgrade the STPs, which were pointed out in the IISC's report and expedite the balance STPs by the State of Karnataka so that no untreated sewage is let into the river.
14. Adding to the agony, it is stated that the effluents from 'Red' and 'Orange' category industries at the Thenpennai River catchment in the State of Karnataka Page 5 of 7 have to be stopped immediately. Therefore, the Government of Karnataka has to control the industrial pollution and start doing the bio-remedial sewage treatment process. The Government of Tamil Nadu will take up the bio-remedial measures after getting a feasibility report once the industrial pollution is controlled.
15. From the reports submitted by the States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, it is evident that the Thenpennai River is being polluted due to the discharge of industrial effluents and sewage within the State of Karnataka. Though steps have been initiated for the construction of STPs, their completion is expected only by the end of December 2025. Therefore, the State of Karnataka is required to take appropriate measures to address the pollution during the interregnum.
16. Considering that over five months remain until the end of December 2025 and the monsoon is approaching in the State of Tamil Nadu, it would be appropriate for the State of Karnataka to take immediate steps to address the discharge of industrial effluents and control the mixing of sewage into the Thenpennai River, pending the completion of the proposed STPs, as outlined in their report.
17. The learned counsel appearing for the State of Karnataka has sought a month's time to respond to the above issue.
Page 6 of 718. The State of Karnataka is directed to file a report outlining the measures proposed to address the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents into the Thenpennai River, pending the construction and commissioning of the STPs.
19. Post the matter on 21.08.2025.
Sd/-
Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, JM Sd/-
Dr. Satyagopal Korlapati, EM O.A. No.14/2025 (SZ) 15th July, 2025. Mn.
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