Drain of thought: Are more STPs the answer?

The BWSSB's decision to make STPs mandatory in all apartment buildings is too little, 20 years too late. This 'solution', which will need to be implemented at great cost and inconvenience by apartment buildings that don't contribute to underground sewage in the first place, simply defies logic. While citizens sharing the cost of sewage treatment is a good idea, holding them responsible for untreated sewage will cause more problems than it solves, report Aknisree Karthik and Aksheev Thakur.

Land sharks and the ever growing urban sprawl have taken over many of the city’s lakes, those that are left are dying from pollution caused by the untreated sewage let into them by industries and apartments.  

With the polluted lakes no longer supplying it its water, the city draws 1350 MLD from the Cauvery river, the lifeline of Bengaluru and other districts, for its needs and lets out almost 80 per cent of it as sewage later. Although it generates 1,000 MLD of sewage on an average on any given day, sadly it's not able to treat all of it.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board ( BWSSB) admits it treats only 843 MLD at its 14 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) across the city. In fact, until recently it only treated 721 MLD before it increased its capacity earlier this year. 

Infographic

•  There are 14 STPs across the city. 
•  BWSSB which was treating 721 MLD increased its capacity to 843 MLD this year. 
• Even though BWSSB has capacity to treat 843 MLD sources claim that it isn't putting all its STPs to full use. Owing to reasons like power issues and lack of maintenance of old ones, BWSSB is treating only 500 MLD.

How much water is supplied to Bengaluru every day ?
1350-1400 MLD
How much sewage is generated ?
Of the total water supplied about 80 percent come out as sewage. Roughly        1000 MLD of sewage is generated everyday in the city.
How much of the sewage is treated ?
Of the 1000 MLD , BWSSB claims to treat 843 MLD 843 MLD

•  As many as 324 of 657 apartments  around Bellandur Lake do not have Sewage Treatment Plants
•  Forty four  apartments are building STPs
• The KPSCB has issued 170 notices  to the apartments around Bellandur Lake for failure to treat their sewage

Upcoming STPs across Bengaluru
Expected to be completed by 2017 end.
Bellandur    90 MLD
Kengeri    60 MLD
Doddabele    20 MLD
Horamavu    20 MLD
Yellamappachetty    15 MLD
Kadugodi    6 MLD

But going by sources even this claim is not true. With power issues and lack of maintenance dogging its STPs, the BWSSB barely manages to treat 500 MLD,  they say.

Ask the BWSSB about its failure to treat all of the city's sewage and a senior officer admits that with its area of operation increasing over the years it is not able to fully do its job. "The water board  was only tasked with taking care of water supply and the sewage in the core areas spread over 245 sq. kms when first set up. But with  the addition of areas under the city and town municipal councils, its jurisdiction increased by 330 sq.kms. Also with the addition of 110 villages it is now required to take care of another 225 sq. kms, which has made its job almost unmanageable," he contends.

"In the recent past we have been laying more stress on building new STPs. Work is on in full swing to build them at Bellandur, Kengeri, Yellampachetti, Doddabele, Horamavu and Kadugodi and they are expected to be operational by the year end, solving most of the crisis in the city caused by untreated sewage water," he , however, assures. Recalling that developed countries too have passed through this phase of polluted water bodies, water expert, S.  Vishwanath, notes that the River Thames in London  was also once smelly with sewage.  He, however, believes the problem can be overcome if people are willing to pay for treating their sewage. "The cost of treating sewage is huge. You need Rs18 to 20 to treat a kilo litre of water (1000 liters) with basic technology. We can overcome the pollution  caused by sewage in a matter of two years if people support the cause and are willing to pay for the service," he says.

Not without your help, BWSSB: RWAs
Although  the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) made the installation of Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) compulsory for apartments with over 50 flats earlier this year ,  324 of the 657 apartments built around Bellandur lake  have not bothered to comply.

Officials of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) , which has slapped over 170 notices on the apartments for their failure to fall in line, say most members of the Resident Welfare Associations here  are unwilling to spend on installation of the STP.

The apartment dwellers , however, claim that while the authorities want them to build an STP they have made no provision to help them set it up. Says Mr Harish Kumar Y of Green Glen Layout Resident Welfare Association, “I will not say that the pollution control board is wrong in saying that the RWAs are not complying with the BWSSB’s order, but the ground reality is that even if the apartments want to set up an STP they do not  have the means to do so.” One of the biggest constraints is the cost factor, according to him. Also, the Bangalore Apartment’s Federation had  in May this year opposed the rule of the BWSSB calling for installation of STPs by the older apartments, arguing that they lacked space.

Mr Kumar  points out that several smaller builders responsible for apartments with over 50 flats have not bothered to comply with the required norms on STPs and have left  their unsuspecting occupants in the lurch.

While agreeing with the BWSSB’s rule on  installation of  STPs by apartments, water expert,  Vishwanath, however, believes that it should be left to them to comply and not be forced upon anyone, especially the older apartments.

“If the apartments have installed the STPs it is great, but the rule  should not be forced upon them retrospectively,” he insists.