No road over lake, says HC

No road over lake, says HC

NICE wins battle as HC nullifies govt order to build a road across Gottigere lake

BANGALORE MIRROR BUREAU



The Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises Ltd (NICE) has won a legal battle against the state government in the Karnataka High Court. The HC on Thursday nullified the notification of the state government directing NICE to construct a peripheral road across the Gottigere lake by erecting pillars.
The notification was issued during the coalition government headed by H D Kumaraswamy. NICE had challenged the notification which re-aligned the project.
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Apart from NICE, Dr B K Chakrapani, an environmentalist, and the Electronic City Industry Association had filed independent writ petitions challenging the notification. The petitioners had contended that implementing the directions given in the notification would affect the ecology of the lake.
They also contended that the re-alignment of the work had delayed the completion of the peripheral road, causing enormous inconvenience to the employees of the industries in Electronics City.
The Division Bench of the High Court comprising Chief Justice P D Dinakaran and Justice V G Sabhahit had heard the writ petitions last month and had reserved the verdict till Thursday.
NICE sources told Bangalore Mirror, “The order of the HC will enable us to complete the project within three months, except construction of a bridge which will connect the peripheral road to Bannerghatta road. The road will now be constructed around the lake without affecting its ecology.”
NICE, however, has a rough road ahead because, for the completion of the project, it will have to acquire above 20 acres of land near the lake, most of which belongs to relatives of powerful politicians.