SC dismisses Karnataka plea to vacate stay on use of secondary treated water
New Delhi, Mar 11: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea by Karnataka government seeking vacation of stay on the proposal to pump secondary treated water from its sewage treatment plants (STPs) in Bengaluru into irrigation tanks in Kolar district for recharging the groundwater table.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi expressed its displeasure that the state government has not mentioned requisite details in its application seeking vacation of the apex court's stay order of January 7 this year.
"Are you playing around with the court? There are no details in your application. It is a bland application," the bench, which also comprised justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna, said.
"The application for vacating the stay order dated January 7, 2019 does not mention adequate material and details, on the basis of which the court can come to the conclusion that the order dated January 7 requires reconsideration," the bench said and noted that the state government has not even mentioned the correct date of the stay order in its application.
The apex court, however, granted liberty to the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board to file appropriate applications for vacating the interim order.
On January 7, the top court had stayed the Karnataka High Court order by which the state was allowed to pump secondary treated water from Banglore-based STPs to the minor irrigation tanks situated in Kolar District for recharging ground water table after taking note of a report which claimed that the water was contaminated.
It had also issued notices to the state and other government bodies including Department of Minor Irrigation, Central Ground Water Board and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board on the plea filed by R Anjaneya Reddy, a resident of Chikkaballapura in Karnataka.
Reddy has challenged the September 28, 2018 high court order by which an earlier direction was modified and the state government and its agencies were allowed to pump the secondary treated water from the STPs of Bangalore City to the minor irrigation tanks situated in Kolar district for recharging the groundwater table under the project.
The plea has alleged that earlier the high court on July 24 last year had restrained the government from restarting the pumping of the secondary treated water.
Reddy, in his plea, has said that he had submitted before the high court a report of the Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences and the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on the quality of treated water meant for recharging the groundwater table.
It has sought a stay on the high court order and a direction to the state government to stop pumping secondary treated water from its STPs into the Minor Irrigation Tanks of Kolar District.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
