Bengaluru apartments, houses and industries to face action for polluting water bodies

BENGALURU: Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Thursday said notices will be issued to apartments, individual houses, industries and commercial establishments for letting waste waste into drains and failing to treat it. The minister came down heavily on Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) officials for not adhering to rules and taking action. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of a meeting with officials of the two departments, he said, “One week’s time has been given to officials to submit a detailed report of all units not connected to the drainage system, and not following norms. One month has been given to BWSSB and KSPCB to install the required Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) and reduce waste inflow into rivers, particularly the Cauvery and Arkavathy rivers.”Reddy said it is shocking that only 25 per cent of STPs are working in accordance with NGT guidelines and parameters. He said BWSSB has been given a month’s time to set things right, failing which action will be taken. This comes at a time when the Tamil Nadu government has filed a case before the National Green Tribunal, pertaining to rising pollution levels in the Cauvery river. Reddy said the next hearing date is scheduled for November 14, before which things need to be set right. The case pertains to rising sewage levels, silt and sediments in the river, making it unfit for drinking purposes. Reddy admitted that barring 4-5 rivers in the state, most of the rivers and water bodies are polluted because of poor functioning of STPs and untreated waste water released from various establishments. He said the total sewage generated in Bengaluru is 2580MLD. The present capacity of 37 functioning STPs under BWSSB is 1364.5MLD, leaving a gap in the treatment of 1215.5MLD.