Cauvery aarti at Sankey Tank: HC asks Govt. to ensure adherence to law on prohibitory activities

High Court of Karnataka directs State to adhere to tank conservation laws during Cauvery Aarti event at Sankey Tank.

The High Court of Karnataka on Thursday directed the State government and civic authorities to ensure adherence to the provisions on prohibitory activities in the tanks prescribed under Section 12 of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) Act, 2014 while conducting ‘Cauvery Aarti’ event at Sankey Tank on Friday.

Also, the court directed the Government to ensure that public movement and public order are managed by maintaining law and order during gathering for the event.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind issued the directions while refusing to issue any other direction on an application filed by a petitioner, Geetha Misra, who had sought a direction to stop the authorities from holding Cauvery aarti while complaining that the manner in which the event is being proposed would damage the buffer zone of Sankey tank besides disturbing the birds living in the tank area.

However, State Advocate General Shashi Kiran Shetty and advocates representing the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) told the court that all the necessary permissions required under the KTCDA Act and other laws have been granted for the event.

“The A-G for the BBMP and the BWSSB in one voice assured the court that the event proposed to be organised is in the nature of a cultural event. It is stated that aarti is not organised for the first time .”, the court noted in its order.

The court has also deprecated the manner in which the plea was filed in the court without proper pleading to substantiate the allegations except by filing some photographs of preparation works carried out in the tank premises.

Earlier, Senior Advocate Udaya Holla, appearing for BWSSB, told the court that Cavuery aarti is organised in order to promote and encourage public awareness of the need and importance of water in the life and affairs of common man. He also pointed out that Section 5(13) of the Act deals with launching public awareness programme for conservation preservation and development of tanks.