10k apartment dwellers in Bengaluru protest against mandatory STP rule

More than 8,000-10,000 residents from various apartments across the city on Saturday morning came together to protest against the rule making it mandatory for the apartments with more than 50 units to install Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).  

The rally was organised by Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF), a federation of hundreds of apartments in Bengaluru. A long human chain was formed by the apartment dwellers of 173 apartment complexes in the city.  

"The older apartments do not have the design or strength to install STPs. Moreover, all these are already connected to the internal sewage system. Why are we being harassed to install STPs now? It is the job of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to maintain the internal sewage system right," said Srikant Narasimhan, general secretary, Bangalore Apartments Federation.  

He also said that the civic agencies should engage with the people and the residents of the city to find solutions for these problems.  

BWSSB has issued notices to 1,043 apartments  with more than 50 houses in the city asking them to install STP within December 31 to avoid being penalised.