Residents near Bellandur lake asked to transport waste to STPs

Bengaluru: Apartments around Bellandur Lake have been directed either set up functional decentralised Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) or transport sewage towards an STP and pay for its treatment.

The existing rule by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on zero discharge from premises will be reinforced in the view of the National Green Tribunal order directing the cleanup of the lake.

Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) Chief Engineer (Waste Water Management) S M Ramakrishna says that the capability of STPs in Vrushabhavathy Valley is around 180 million litres a day, while currently, 120 MLD is being treated.

 "The cost of treatment is just Rs. 50 per 1,000 litres. This rule has been in force, and will see more apartments following it strictly," he said.

Currently, the KSPCB is inspecting the status of STPs in 157 apartments (more than 28,000 households) believed to be disposing nearly 22.54 MLD of sewage into the lake. This is apart from the 488 companies directly in the vicinity of the lake that release around 12.455 MLD of sewage.

 The board states that these apartments, hotels and hospitals, have, on paper, sewage treatment facilities that have the capacity to handle nearly 26.242 MLD of sewage.

The KSPCB has already ordered the closure of more than 30 industries after inspections revealed that they were letting out their sewage without treatment.

Field officers of KSPCB said a significant number of apartments were found with non-compliant STPs, and they have been given time to fix the same. Earlier in 2015, a similar check of some apartments had shown that 50% of STPs in apartments were not working.