The UP Forest department has taken serious objection to the construction of buildings so close to the reserved forests and an ecologically sensitive zone, without permission from statutory bodies.

DFO NK Janu told Agratoday.in, "Yes, we have inspected the points from where effluents and wastes were being directly released into the Keitham reservoir and found it contaminating the whole water body. Also they have put up high mast lights which disturb the birds. We have sent out notices and asked for immediate remedial measures. Besides a fine of Rs.10 crores has been imposed."

Janu said provisions of the Wild Life Act and Forest Act had been violated. The notices were first sent a decade ago but no action was taken to stop the pollutants from entering into the water body.

The issue came to notice when a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committe, DK Joshi visited the area last year and discovered that the hostels, canteens and the college buildings were regularly releasing waste directly into the lake, the biggest in UP. The lake is surrounded by a bird sanctuary, a python point, dense forest and world's biggest rescue centre for sloth bear. Named after the famous blind bard of Braj Bhasha, Soor Das, the lake was artificially developed by the British as an emergency reservoir for Agra city. The lake now feeds the Mathura Oil Refinery which needs huge supplies of water on a continued basis for its operations.

The buildings have come up obviously without permission from appropriate authorities, said UP Pollution Control Board regional officer Dr BB Awasthi who said the whole issue was being examined and appropriate action would soon follow.

YK Gupta, chairman of the Sharda group of institutions, however told Agratoday.in "we have taken appropriate steps to address the problems and the concerned officials are fully satisfied. They objected to some drainage lines. We now have treatment plants installed and all the treated waste is being used in our lawns and to water the plants. Actually there is no problem."