JOIN USOn an average, the amount of sewage generated in Bangalore is 1,200 million lites per day (mld), out of which only 120 mld is actually treated. The remaining 1,080 mld ends up polluting the Pennar and Cauvery, says the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in its report on water pollution tabled in Parliament on Friday.
Even though Bangalore has the capacity of treating 463 mld of sewage, only about a quarter that capacity is put to use. Since India's IT capital is not situated on the bank of a river and the sewage is generated in three different valleys, the contaminated water is released into Vellanbur lake and Vrishabhavathy stream, which ultimately joins the Pennar and Cauvery respectively.
According to the CAG report, barring the exception of the Ganga in certain stretches almost all major rivers — including the Yamuna, Gomti, Godavari, Cauvery, Krishna, Sutlej, Chambal, Sabarmati, Musi, Mandovi, Tungabhadra and Betwa — have been choked by pollution and the government seems apathetic in looking after their health.
At least the Yamuna, Musi and Sabarmati have almost died. With zero amount of dissolved oxygen, none of them can harbour aquatic life like fish. Conditions of many others like the Tungabhadra are beginning to deteriorate.
Davangere, a large town near the banks of the Tungabhadra, generates 48 mld of sewage, which is not treated due to malfunctioning of all treatment plants. As a result, the untreated waste is released into the Tungabhadra.