JOIN USBBMP to use sewage-eating plants to clean drains in K-100 project
After struggling to stop sewage from entering stormwater drains (SWDs), taken up for beautification under its ambitious K-100 waterway project, the BBMP is planning to deploy an Israeli technique to sow purifying aquatic plants.
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Engineer Prahlad B S told DH that the civic body is talking to a private firm to implement the technology. “The project will fail if we fail to stop sewage from entering the SWD,” Prahlad said.
“Despite the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) re-laying pipelines to divert sewage, a significant amount continues to flow through the drains. We are in talks with the firm that plants sewage-eaters.”
Another BBMP engineer stated that the technology is environment friendly and does not use chemicals. “They have a team of phytoremediation experts who select the appropriate combination of aquatic plants based on the type of sewage that enters the drains. We are waiting for the initial design and model,” the engineer added.
However, the engineers noted that it would be difficult to ensure there is enough space to plant the remedial plants. “As such we are struggling to remove encroachments on the drains. Using this new technology could mean we need more space, which is harder to create,” an engineer working on the project said.
Finger-pointing
So far, only 60 per cent of the work has been completed. BBMP officials have blamed the BWSSB for the delay, saying the board should stop the sewage flow to ensure the continuation of the work.
BWSSB officials said they stopped 98 per cent of sewage flow and now the BBMP should manage the SWD better.
“Earlier, 100 to 120 MLD of sewage flowed into the drain. By replacing pipelines, it has been reduced to only 1 MLD,” a senior BWSSB official said. “The SWD network has been poor in many places in the old Pete area. People end up diverting rainwater into our underground drainage, which eventually overflows. We have done what we can. Now, the BBMP needs to manage the drains,” he further added.
The project — Bengaluru’s first effort to create a waterway — began in March 2021 and missed multiple deadlines. Officials hope to wrap it up by March 2023.