Karnataka govt to create single-window mechanism to strengthen functioning of Pollution Board

PTI, Feb 16, 2024, 4:14 PM IST

Karnataka government proposes to create a single-window mechanism to strengthen the functioning of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, set up 17 real-time water quality measurement stations and two environment laboratories, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Friday.

Presenting the state budget for 2024-25 in the legislative assembly, the chief minister said that a simplified procedure will be introduced for obtaining a unified consent letter under Water, Air and Environment Protection Act from Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. This will be done to promote ease of doing business, he added. To strengthen the functioning of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, a single window mechanism will be created and, using this, various permissions and certificates will be issued, he said.

Seventeen real-time water quality measurement stations and two environment laboratories will be set up by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board. Besides, and nine environment laboratories will be upgraded, the chief minister announced. Private apartments in Bengaluru will be encouraged to use the treated water, as prescribed by the Board, he added.

Siddaramaiah said that in order to increase green cover across the state, 2.74 crore saplings are being planted under various programmes, thereby creating 50,225 hectares of plantation under various schemes like ‘Sirichandanavana’, greenification of urban areas, green budget, planting of medicinal plants, tree-parks, road side plantation, ‘Devarakadu’ plantations and green Karnataka programme. The chief minister said raised the ”blazing issue” of human-animal conflict that the state government is facing. More than Rs 201 crore has been spent towards protecting crops and people living in areas bordering forests from wild animals, while also protecting wildlife. To address the human-animal conflict, Rs 100 crore was provided in the previous budget for construction of railway barricades of which around 78 km was built. In the current year also, priority will be given to construction of such barricades, the chief minister said.

”Rs 40 crore is provided to strengthen the existing seven elephant task forces and two leopard task forces. In the current year, one new task force will be formed in Bandipur, Rs 10 crore will be allocated to strengthen these task forces for providing additional human resources and advanced technologies,” he said. A grant of Rs 15 crore will be provided for eco-tourism and conservation programmes in Honnikeri reserve forest and nearby bio-diverse areas of Bidar district, he added.