The Karnataka government today said it would set up 'Green Police' to check pollution and monitor against release of effluents into water.

Each district would have around two green policemen to help control water pollution, Minister for Ports, Fisheries and Ecology Krishna Palemar told reporters after a meeting of Karnataka State Pollution Board, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB), Lake Development Authorities here today.

There were 40,000 different industries in Karnataka.

A total of 46 defaulting industries were issued with closure directions under the Water Act, the Minister said.

These industries, many of which were dyeing units, were found to be polluting water during regular surveillance.

Three criminal cases against BWSSB and 10 cases against City Municipal Councils and Town Municipal councils for discharging untreated sewage into water bodies have also been filed. Eighteen criminal cases were filed against apartment owners, he said.

The Board has also restricted the industrial projects on the 'T G Catchment' areas as per a government notification.

The Board has begun insisting on a decentralized treatment facility for newly formed layout, apartments, commercial complexes and software technology parks and also recyling and reusing the treated waste water towards secondary purposes.

The Board has also instructed industries to provide effluent treatment plant.While in 2003 the ground water pollution level was estimated to be around 58 percent, it had gone up to 62 percent as per a 2008 survey, he said.

The Board had taken up the monitoring of lakes in Banglore.

Out of 64 lakes identified in and around Bangalore, water quality analysis is carried out in 55 lakes, he said.

Indiscriminate dumping of garbage, other solid materials, debris have added to pollution and siltation of lakes.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Development Authority have also taken up measures for rejuvenating lakes in Bangalore.Currently, 135 lakes come under the BBMP, 35 under BDA,nine under Lake Development Authority (LDA) and four under forest authorities, he said.

The Board was also in the process of setting up a helpline to cater to pollution complaints.