Bigger Cubbon Park STP, greener lawns at Metro, Raj Bhavan

With the capacity of the sewage treatment plant in Cubbon Park set to be increased, treated water can be used to tend to the park and the lawns in the neighbourhood.

The Cabinet recently approved the horticulture department’s six-month-old proposal to the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to increase the capacity of the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Cubbon Park.

Once the capacity increases, treated water will be used to water the city's prime lung space Cubbon Park, the lawns of Vidhana Soudha, Metro corridor, Raj Bhavan, Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain and defence areas.

Ramakrishna S M, chief engineer, Waste Water Management Zone, BWSSB, said the Cabinet has recently approved the project and tenders will soon be called. The idea is to increase the STP capacity to 4 MLD at a cost of Rs 28 crore. The work is likely to start in three months.

Cubbon Park deputy director Mahantesh Murgod said BWSSB had installed the 1.5 million-litre capacity STP at Cubbon Park around 10-12 years ago. Since then, one MLD treated water is being used to irrigate the 150 acres of green space of Cubbon Park, spread across 197 acres.

A proposal was placed before the BWSSB six months ago to increase the capacity so that more treated water can be used to irrigate lawns of Raj Bhavan, Vidhana and Vikasa Soudha, musical fountain, upcoming Metro lawns and surrounding defence areas.

Water from hotels like Chalukya, Windsor Manor and The Capitol, from restaurants, from the seat of powers Vidhana Soudha and Vikasa Soudha and other residential and commercial units under High Grounds BWSSB limits, is treated and used to water Cubbon Park.

Ramakrishna added that since the horticulture department is not using the STP to its full capacity, the BWSSB was planning to use 0.5 MLD water for irrigating lawns of other areas, apart from Cubbon Park, and gradually increase its capacity. In this way, time will not be wasted.

Lalbagh STP efficient
The 1.5 MLD capacity STP at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens has been working efficiently since 2003-04, according to M Jagadeesh, joint director, Horticulture (Parks and Gardens).

Everyday, 1.5 MLD sewage water from Jayanagar 4th Block, Kanakanapalya, Siddapur, Ashoka Pillar and surrounding areas is tapped, treated and used for greening the park spread across 175 acres. There is no need for increasing the capacity of this STP for now, he said.
DH News Service