The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday directed the State government to depute senior officers to find out whether environment around the Sirimane waterfalls near Sringeri was being polluted by dumping of waste by the tourists and whether illegal structures were being built in the forest areas.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Ashok Kinagi passed the order on a PIL petition filed by Ramachandra Rao G.N. and four others from Kigga and surrounding villages of Sringeri in Chikkamagaluru district.
The Bench said that the officers should also find out whether the waterfalls area comes under reserve forest while directing the authorities to ensure that environment and ecology was not polluted.
While contending that the waterfalls comes under a notified forest area, the petitioners have claimed that some persons were putting up illegal structures around the falls while also complaining about garbage being dumped by the tourists.
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