Thread by @leofsaldanha

1/ Tomorrow (15 June 2021) at 2.25 pm, the Principal Bench of the Karnataka High Court headed by Chief Justice Oka will be delivering a judgment in a process that involved recalling the order in ESG's Lake's PIL: WP 817/2008. More: bit.ly/3zzGBMz

2/ The Lakes PIL was heard for several years from when it was filed in 2008 and a final order was delivered on 11 April 2012 directing the State to ensure local communities were involved in lake rehabiliation and management, and their regulation was devolved to district level…

3/ …lake protection committees. Importantly, the Justice N K Patil Committee that the Court constituted had provided detailed guidelines based on inputs and participation of BBMP and 8 agencies of the State.

4/ Rather than implement these guidelines and rehabiliate lakes and raja kaluves based on participatory processes, the State prefered to centralise control over lakes, including through the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act 2018.

5/ As the lakes continued to be encroached, polluted and destroyed, a PIL filed by Citizens Action Group in 2014 (WP 38401/2014) brought attention back to the manner in which lakes were being neglected, especially by not attending to the health and revival of Raja Kaluves…

6/ …(canals that interconnect lakes).

ESG impleaded in this PIL in 2019 and worked with all parties under the guidance of the Principal Bench and brought to fore various threats to the future of lakes, and thus water and ecological securities.

7/ It became apparent then that if lakes had to be protected and rehabilitated sensibly, then it needed to be with involvement of local people in all aspects and processes.

8/ Agreeing with this position, Chief Justice Oka observed that there was a need to recall the earlier order in ESG PIL (WP 817/2008) and build details of public involvement in lake management and rehabilitation. Suggestions were invited, and ESG submitted detailed proposals.

9/ Tomorrow's ruling will expand the scope of the prevailing order in WP 817/2008 and bring public involvement lake management, rehabiltation and regulation against its pollution and encroachment.

@esgindia1 @bhargirao

Chief Justice Oka briefly mentioned changes affected in 817 order: in establishing & activating Dt Lake Protection Committees esp wrt municipal corporations & councils, & all concerns relating to lakes would be heard in ongoing proceedings in WP 38401/2014.
Order copy awaited.