Agra, Jan 12 (IANS): A penalty of Rs.10 crore has been imposed on two engineering colleges for pollution and illegal construction close to the Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary on the Agra-Delhi national highway, an official said Thursday.

The Uttar Pradesh forest department has raised objection to unauthorised buildings coming up near the reserved forest, about 20 km from Agra.

Divisional Forest Officer N.K. Janu told IANS: "Yes, we have inspected the points from where effluents and wastes were being directly released into the Keitham reservoir and found them contaminating the whole water body."

"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 crore has been imposed," he said.

Janu said provisions of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and Forest (conservation) Act had been violated.

The notices were first sent a decade ago but no action was taken to stop the pollutants from entering the water body in the heart of the reserved forest.

The lake is surrounded by a bird sanctuary, a python point, dense forest and world's biggest rescue centre for sloth bear.

The buildings have come up without permission from appropriate authorities, said Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board regional officer B.B. Awasthi, adding that the issue was being examined and action would soon follow.

The issue came to notice when a member of the Supreme Court monitoring committee, D.K. 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 the state.

Joshi told IANS: "It's amazing that for 10 years the forest department and the pollution control board people were sleeping. Only when I visited the area and demanded action, they have sent out notices."

"The police is not registering an FIR. It looks like senior officials have been mobilised to underplay the gross violation of environmental laws," he said.