Bengaluru: BWSSB makes STPs mandatory for all apartments, citizens question logic behind it
After the BWSSB issued a notification last month making it compulsory for apartments to set up STPs, citizens have called the move illegal and illogical.
With intense pressure on the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to stop sewage from entering lakes from apartments, a notification was issued on April 21 making it compulsory for apartments in the city to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) along with dual piping system.
However, citizens are up in arms against this rule terming it 'illegal, impractical and illogical.' They claim the BWSSB has not thought this over properly before notifying the rules.
According to Srikanth Narasimhan, General Secretary, Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF), the BWSSB has chosen to ignore the directives issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), and also the Ministry of Environment while taking a unilateral decision on retrospective application allegedly without any expert consultations and public dialogue. "This notification is absurd and carries no logic, no sense, it is impractical and they have done it illegally," Narasimhan tells India Today.
NEW STP RULES
The rules now mandate setting up of STPs and dual-piping system for all existing apartments having 50 and more residential units/buildings measuring 5,000 sq mts and above, whichever is lower. Existing buildings mean those that have been there as on the date of the commencement of the Bangalore Sewerage (Amendment) Regulations, 2017. STPs are also mandatory for new residential buildings, consisting of 20 or more apartments measuring 2,000 sq mts.
For commercial buildings (existing), the BWSSB has made STP and dual-piping system must for those measuring 2,000 sq mts and above. Existing buildings of educational institutions measuring 10,000 sq mts and above should also comply with the norms. However, the rules are more stringent for new buildings of educational institutions measuring 5,000 sq mts or above.
The BWSSB states that the buildings should comply with the norms by December 31, 2017, failing which they will be made to cough up hefty penalties.
BAF WANTS TO KNOW WHAT PROBLEMS BWSSB IS TRYING TO ADDRESS
1. If it is lake pollution, old apartments constructed in 70s, 80s and 90s are not causing lake pollution as they are already connected to underground drain (UGD) provided by the BWSSB.
2. If it is water reuse, old apartments cannot reuse water. They do not have a garden. If they have to install dual-piping, they have to start breaking down walls etc. which is a huge risk for old buildings. Even if they are able to do it, they can possibly reuse about 15 per cent of the water. And ultimately the treated water has to enter the UGD or storm water drain, and will go into the lakes only.
3. BWSSB's own STPs are not running at full capacity, so there is no question of overload.
Urban Planner RK Misra is also of the view that the rule to set up STPs is logical but does not agree with the BWSSB's position that even old buildings must set up STPs. "Ask them after constructing the building when they have left no space to build STPs, how will they do it?" Misra says, adding the state government must understand this point.
BJP MLA YA Narayanaswamy, an expert in water management also finds fault with the BWSSB making the rules retrospective in nature. He says this is nothing but 'incompetency,' on part of the water board officials. He has now urged the state government as well as the BWSSB to take back this order.
(With inputs from Kishore Barker)
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