Bengaluru Rural to spend Rs 57.7 cr to shift polluting sewage line in Doddaballapur

Bengaluru: The Bengaluru Rural district administration will spend crores of rupees to shift an underground sewage line built through a lake buffer zone in Doddaballapur.

Officials said work on shifting the line will be taken up shortly to prevent contamination of waterbodies in the area.

The Bengaluru Rural deputy commissioner gave an undertaking that tenders have been called to shift the Under Ground Drainage (UGD) in the Chikkatumakuru Lake buffer area and to build a 21 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at an estimated cost of Rs 57.70 crore.

The response comes more than two years after the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, directed the administration to stop the five waterbodies following a petition by activist Girish NP. Girish photographed the flow of sewage and industrial effluent into the lakes and urged the NGT to intervene.

The deputy commissioner tabled a report by the Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board’s Bengaluru Division, which stated that the UGD network and STP in Doddaballapur city was implemented by the Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation.

"The DPR is prepared at the cost of Rs 57.70 crore for providing the overall sewer line, including wet well and 21 MLD STP at Doddaballapur City (considering Bashettihalli Town sewage). The DPR has been submitted to the government to obtain administrative approval," the engineer said.

Notice to seven industries 

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), which had failed to check the effluent flowing from industries to waterbodies, submitted a report, which showed that seven out of the nine factories inspected by the authorities violate the rules, including discharge of industrial effluent to open spaces.

The KSPCB also submitted an action taken report, a copy of which is available with DH, stating that notices have been served to Indigo Blues, Pearl Global, Indic EMS Electronics Pvt Ltd, Rittal Pvt Ltd, Griffith Foods (P) Ltd, Hanuman Weaving Factory,  and Ayesha Embroideries Textiles Pvt Ltd.

As for Hanuman Weaving Factory, the KSPCB said the industry has been inspected by the rural office, Doddaballapur, on January 6..

"It was observed that, during the inspection, they are discharging the effluent to open area in the premises," it said.