20 villages turn sewage dumps

There is a river that is almost perennial, but its water is not potable and fish inedible. It’s not even used for bathing and washing by people.

This is the story of the once-pristine Vrushabhavathi and the twenty-odd villages under the Byramangala gram panchayat, including Byramangala, Kodiyala Karenahalli, Kodihalli, Chikkakuntahalli, Maravegowdana Doddi, Joganapalya, which have become receptacles for Bangalore’s sewage.

According to the 2001 census, 7,654 persons lived in the 20 villages. The population is currently estimated to have crossed 11,000.

The problem has persisted for over two decades now with a huge portion of Bangalore’s sewage routed through Vrushabhavathi to reach Shimsha and eventually Cauvery, passing through these villages.

The villagers’ demand for a treatment plant has never materialised, thus depriving them of potable water and affecting agricultural activities badly. Besides, the sewage has also been causing several skin-related and respiratory problems among the residents.

“I am 66 (years) and I remember the days when we used this river water for drinking. Today, we do not even allow our cattle to drink water from it,” Kari Rangaiah, a farmer and Public Works Department employee, said.

To add to their woes, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in mid-December proposed to dump Bangalore’s garbage at one of these villages - Kodiyala Karenahalli. The decision saw huge protests, and the BBMP, sources said, has put its plan on hold for now.

Srirama Reddy, Deputy Commissioner, Ramanagara District, said on Thursday that he would personally see to it that people bringing in garbage from Bangalore are put behind bars. “We do not want Bangalore’s garbage in any part of Ramanagara,” he said.

Kumar, who works at the gram panchayat office, said: “We have written to all the local representatives regarding the sewage treatment plant, but there has been no effort to set it up; but they want to dump garbage here. We are happy that the DC has taken such a strong stand in favour of the people.”

The stench from the river and the uncleared waste that get deposited around the banks and near the dam have led to several health problems. The villages in the vicinity are directly exposed to chemicals that are being dumped into the river by factories surrounding it.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, Moodala Giriyappa, a former GP member and resident of Byramangala, said: “I will put my leg into the channel and show you the kind of residue on my foot. It takes two-three days of rigorous cleaning for it to go and even then there is not guarantee of safety.”

He said all the villages had become heavily dependent on borewells. But when Deccan Herald accessed the lab reports of the water samples from about six villages, it found none of it was safe for drinking or cooking.

“A Cauvery pipeline passes through our villages and towards Toyota Kirloskar factory. We do not get it. After negotiations, we have been provided with one tap. Water is supplied twice a week and villagers who stay a little away have to bring autos or make multiple trips on their bikes to get water,” Giriappa said.

Venkateshwara, a farmer, said people hesitate to buy tender coconuts from the villages around the river. “The trees too are affected by pollution; our business is hit badly.”