Apartment residents to rally against civic agencies

Hundreds of apartment complexes across the city are set to participate in a rally,  which  will serve as a platform for residents to voice their concerns with regard to civic agencies.

The 'apartment rally'  will be organised by the Bangalore Apartments' Federation (BAF) on Saturday. The BAF represents the interests of hundreds of apartment complexes across the city.

R Balasubramanian, president of BAF, said, "Older apartments, constructed in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, which are not polluting the surroundings, have been mandated to install sewage treatment plants (STPs) retrospectively. This  is impossible."

He added that "with regard to apartments built since 2007, with properly functioning STPs, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board has been issuing notices that they should not let out even properly treated water, which is completely absurd".

"In all these cases, apartment residents have been threatened with disconnection of power and water and initiation of criminal action despite being innocent, law-abiding and non-polluting citizens, he said.  

Over 10,000 people are expected to join the rally from areas like Bannerghatta Road, JP Nagar, Jayanagar, Banashankari, HSR Layout, Bellandur, Mysore Road, Malleswaram, RT Nagar, Hebbal and Koramangala, among others.