Latest news with #WaterAct
Time of India
17 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Karnataka pollution control board tightens rules for high-rise projects
BENGALURU : The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued a strict directive mandating that before granting plan approval (CC) and occupancy certificate (OC) for multi-storey residential complexes, prior approval and consent from the board must be confirmed. If these clearances are not obtained and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike ( BBMP ) still issues CC and OC, the responsibility will rest entirely with the BBMP. Responding to a letter from BBMP seeking clarification, KSPCB's Member Secretary on May 30 outlined the rules requiring prior consent for establishment (CFE) and consent for operation (CFO) from the board before any such approvals can be issued for multi-storey buildings. Since 2015, it has been mandatory for KSPCB to verify compliance with the Water Act, Air Act, and other environmental protection laws before construction begins. This specifically applies to buildings with over 120 flats within the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) limits. According to sources, this rule aims to prevent construction on lake beds, stormwater canals, and sensitive ecological areas. Projects must allocate space for sewage treatment plants (STPs) and waste management units before seeking approval. Seeking KSPCB consent after construction will not be accepted. BBMP has been strongly advised to ensure prior environmental clearance before granting approvals.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- General
- Time of India
Report reveals worst water quality in 47 lakes
water quality report Karnataka State Pollution Control Board lake management goals National Water Monitoring Program National Green Tribunal The recentby the(KSPCB) has highlighted that nearly 41% of Bengaluru's lakes are highly polluted. While 115 water bodies were tested for 34 parameters, 47 were categorised under Class E, the worst water quality possible. The number of lakes with the worst water quality in January this year was 33, while in February the number rose to lake activists said that it is disappointing that none of theare being met despite the Centre's ongoing(NWMP). Bengaluru lakes are still under threat from various issues, including unabated encroachment, entry of sewage, and a lack of basic the country's Water Act mandates a comprehensive program to prevent and control pollution of water bodies, experts opined that this aspect has always been missing with the KSPCB. The board has only been monitoring the water quality of lakes without taking any action against the sad state of Bengaluru's lakes has drawn the attention of the(NGT) on multiple occasions in the past. In one of the instances, following a news report by BM last year, the tribunal had issued notices to KSPCB, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) due to critically low oxygen levels (below detection level) in 12 out of 117 lakes that were checked by the number of lakes classified as Class E has risen compared to earlier this year, KSPCB data indicates a decline in the overall count of polluted lakes in the corresponding period in 2024 and 2023, nearly 50% of the lakes studied were found to be heavily polluted.'The number of lakes with Class E water quality keeps fluctuating, and there is not much difference between 52 lakes with the worst water quality last year in comparison to 47 lakes this year. The rest of the water bodies fall under class D,' said a city-based lake activist, highlighting that not even a single lake being monitored by KSPCB has Class B or Class C water quality. 'The Pollution Control Board has failed in its duties,' said the activist.
Rhyl Journal
21-05-2025
- Business
- Rhyl Journal
Thames Water drops bonuses due for bosses after Government criticism
Mr Reed confirmed the proposals had been dropped during an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee session with MPs on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Thames Water's chairman admitted to incorrectly stating that the so-called retention plan was 'insisted upon' by the company's lenders. This was set to amount to 50% of senior bosses' salaries, leading to them getting £1 million on top of their annual salaries and regular bonuses. The payments were linked to Thames Water securing a rescue loan earlier this year that could reach £3 billion to stave off collapse. Mr Reed told MPs that Thames Water had been 'trying to circumvent' upcoming rules that can ban water companies from paying bonuses, by 'calling their bonuses something different so they continue to pay them'. 'I'm very happy indeed that Thames have now dropped those proposals,' he said. 'It was the wrong thing to do. It offends against their own customers' sense of fair play. Asked if he was confirming Thames will not be making the retention payments, he said: 'They won't be doing that. 'The Government will take any action necessary to prevent them trying to circumvent the ban that we've now tried to put in law. They've now withdrawn their proposal to make those payments.' A spokesman for Thames said: 'It has never been the Thames Water board's intention to be at odds with the Government's ambition to reform the water industry.' 'Following recent discussions the board has decided to pause the retention scheme and await forthcoming guidance from the regulator' in relation to its new rules, he added. Thames' chairman Sir Adrian Montague said he may have 'misspoken' when he said the group's creditors 'insisted' upon the retention incentives, when quizzed on the struggling water firm's turnaround at an Efra committee session last week. In a letter to the committee, Sir Adrian wrote: 'I appreciate that in the heat of the moment I may have misspoken when I stated that the creditors insisted on the management retention plan.' Thames Water is England's biggest water firm and supplies around 16 million households across London and the South East. The company has been at the centre of growing public outrage over the extent of pollution, rising bills, high dividends, and executive pay and bonuses at the UK's privatised water firms. Downing Street said on Tuesday that Thames Water bosses should not be receiving bonuses. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Water bosses rewarding themselves for failure is clearly not acceptable and ministers are clear that, after presiding over years of mismanagement, Thames Water should not be handing itself bonuses. 'The new Ofwat powers that are set out in the Water Act and will be coming into effect shortly will be applied retrospectively, meaning that they apply to Thames Water, just as they will any other company.' The regulator's new rules mean it can ban bonus payments to water bosses if they fail to meet standards to protect the environment, their consumers, and their company's finances. It also means it could block payments funded not just by customer money, but also by lenders and shareholders. Thames Water has said the retention incentives are different to performance-related bonuses, so are not covered by the rules, and will be funded by lenders.
ITV News
21-05-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Thames Water drops bonuses due for bosses after Government criticism
Thames Water has 'withdrawn' plans to pay senior bosses large bonuses linked to the water company securing a £3 billion emergency loan, Environment Secretary Steve Reed has said. Mr Reed confirmed the proposals had been dropped during an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee session with MPs on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Thames Water's chairman admitted to incorrectly stating that the so-called retention plan was 'insisted upon' by the company's lenders. This was set to amount to 50% of senior bosses' salaries, leading to them getting £1 million on top of their annual salaries and regular bonuses. The payments were linked to Thames Water securing a rescue loan earlier this year that could reach £3 billion to stave off collapse. Mr Reed told MPs that Thames Water had been 'trying to circumvent' upcoming rules that can ban water companies from paying bonuses, by 'calling their bonuses something different so they continue to pay them'. 'I'm very happy indeed that Thames have now dropped those proposals,' he said. 'It was the wrong thing to do. It offends against their own customers' sense of fair play. Asked if he was confirming Thames will not be making the retention payments, he said: 'They won't be doing that. 'The Government will take any action necessary to prevent them trying to circumvent the ban that we've now tried to put in law. They've now withdrawn their proposal to make those payments.' Thames' chairman Sir Adrian Montague said he may have 'misspoken' when he said the group's creditors 'insisted' upon the retention incentives, when quizzed on the struggling water firm's turnaround at an Efra committee session last week. In a letter to the committee, Sir Adrian wrote: 'I appreciate that in the heat of the moment I may have misspoken when I stated that the creditors insisted on the management retention plan.' Thames Water is England's biggest water firm and supplies around 16 million households across London and the South East. The company has been at the centre of growing public outrage over the extent of pollution, rising bills, high dividends, and executive pay and bonuses at the UK's privatised water firms. Downing Street said on Tuesday that Thames Water bosses should not be receiving bonuses. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Water bosses rewarding themselves for failure is clearly not acceptable and ministers are clear that, after presiding over years of mismanagement, Thames Water should not be handing itself bonuses. 'The new Ofwat powers that are set out in the Water Act and will be coming into effect shortly will be applied retrospectively, meaning that they apply to Thames Water, just as they will any other company.' The regulator's new rules mean it can ban bonus payments to water bosses if they fail to meet standards to protect the environment, their consumers, and their company's finances. It also means it could block payments funded not just by customer money, but also by lenders and shareholders. Thames Water has said the retention incentives are different to performance-related bonuses, so are not covered by the rules, and will be funded by lenders.
North Wales Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Thames Water drops bonuses due for bosses after Government criticism
Mr Reed confirmed the proposals had been dropped during an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Efra) committee session with MPs on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Thames Water's chairman admitted to incorrectly stating that the so-called retention plan was 'insisted upon' by the company's lenders. This was set to amount to 50% of senior bosses' salaries, leading to them getting £1 million on top of their annual salaries and regular bonuses. The payments were linked to Thames Water securing a rescue loan earlier this year that could reach £3 billion to stave off collapse. Mr Reed told MPs that Thames Water had been 'trying to circumvent' upcoming rules that can ban water companies from paying bonuses, by 'calling their bonuses something different so they continue to pay them'. 'I'm very happy indeed that Thames have now dropped those proposals,' he said. 'It was the wrong thing to do. It offends against their own customers' sense of fair play. Asked if he was confirming Thames will not be making the retention payments, he said: 'They won't be doing that. 'The Government will take any action necessary to prevent them trying to circumvent the ban that we've now tried to put in law. They've now withdrawn their proposal to make those payments.' A spokesman for Thames said: 'It has never been the Thames Water board's intention to be at odds with the Government's ambition to reform the water industry.' 'Following recent discussions the board has decided to pause the retention scheme and await forthcoming guidance from the regulator' in relation to its new rules, he added. Thames' chairman Sir Adrian Montague said he may have 'misspoken' when he said the group's creditors 'insisted' upon the retention incentives, when quizzed on the struggling water firm's turnaround at an Efra committee session last week. In a letter to the committee, Sir Adrian wrote: 'I appreciate that in the heat of the moment I may have misspoken when I stated that the creditors insisted on the management retention plan.' Thames Water is England's biggest water firm and supplies around 16 million households across London and the South East. The company has been at the centre of growing public outrage over the extent of pollution, rising bills, high dividends, and executive pay and bonuses at the UK's privatised water firms. Downing Street said on Tuesday that Thames Water bosses should not be receiving bonuses. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'Water bosses rewarding themselves for failure is clearly not acceptable and ministers are clear that, after presiding over years of mismanagement, Thames Water should not be handing itself bonuses. 'The new Ofwat powers that are set out in the Water Act and will be coming into effect shortly will be applied retrospectively, meaning that they apply to Thames Water, just as they will any other company.' The regulator's new rules mean it can ban bonus payments to water bosses if they fail to meet standards to protect the environment, their consumers, and their company's finances. It also means it could block payments funded not just by customer money, but also by lenders and shareholders. Thames Water has said the retention incentives are different to performance-related bonuses, so are not covered by the rules, and will be funded by lenders.
