K'taka govt should appeal against SC stay order on KC valley project: Cong leader

Senior Congress leader K H Muniyappa Tuesday urged the Karnataka government to appeal against the Supreme Court stay order on the Koramangala-Challaghatta valley project by submitting a fresh report on the quality of treated water.

The apex court Monday had stayed the Karnataka High Court order on the KC valley project under which the state government was allowed to pump secondary treated water from Bengaluru-based sewage treatment plants (STPs) to minor irrigation tanks in Kolar district for recharging the ground water table.

"We are surprised by the Supreme Court order. At least, five organisations have said the secondary treated water can be used for the farming purpose," Muniyappa, the Member of Parliament from Kolar Lok Sabha constituency, told reporters.

The state government should appeal against the the stay order with a fresh report on the quality of the treated water and its impact, he said.

Expressing concern over the acute shortage of water for irrigation and drinking in Kolar, Muniyappa said the KC valley project can help farmers get water for their fields and livestock.

The Supreme Court had restrained the Karnataka government from pumping secondary treated water from its sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Bengaluru into irrigation tanks in Kolar district for recharging the ground water table after taking note of a report claiming that the water was contaminated.

A bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice S K Kaul took note of the submission of lawyer Prashant Bhushan that the high court "overlooked" a report which had pointed out that the water, to be pumped for recharging the ground water table, was contaminated and had contained "higher heavy metals, high nutrients, higher Biochemical Oxygen Demand and Chemical Oxygen Demand".

It also issued notices to the state government and other government bodies including Department of Minor Irrigation, Central Ground Water Board and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board on the plea of R Anjaneya Reddy, a resident of Chikkaballapura in Karnataka.