BENGALURU: When local government bodies made Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) mandatory in apartment complexes with 50 apartment units in the city, the rule backfired. Now apartment owners, as well as the residents of over 150 apartment associations, have sworn to form a human chain on December 2 as a protest against the “harassment” they say they face.
Problems galore
“It is really foolish of the local bodies to tell us to install STPs. We are retired pensioners living in a 30-year-old apartment complex in Malleswaram,” says S Natarajan, a 77-year-old resident and president of Sangeetha Apartments. “The initial cost is Rs 1 crore and there is an applicable maintenance charge. Most of the people living in this apartment are senior citizens. How are we to shell money for STP and maintain it?” Natarajan questions.
STPs will break law
It is not just the monetary hurdle that disqualifies STPs to be set up. B.N Nagaraja, a retired chief engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) inspected the apartments along with six other experts and produced a report on October 12. The report stated that STPs were not a feasible option for apartments. Three apartments namely Sangeetha Apartments consisting of 165 apartment units, Sashikiran Apartments comprising 90 units and Jayanthi Apartments with 65 units in and around Malleshwaram were examined for this survey.
When it came to Sangeetha Apartments the construction of STP with a capacity of 100 KLD would endanger the structural safety of column foundations. Besides, there is no room available for the STPs. The only parking space of the apartment would also have to be demolished if room for STPs are made. Similar problems were also identified for other two apartments.
“This would also result in the violation of parking norms of the BBMP,” says Nagaraj. “The local municipal corporation, has mandated a minimal parking space for visitors’ vehicles inside each of apartment complexes, there could be violations of local body regulations if such facilities are done away with,” adds Nagaraj.
The construction of STPs in apartments can also lead to worsening of the city’s traffic as construction requires space and movement spaces, states Nagaraj.A senior official of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board says that over 300 notices have been issued on the matter of STPs in the last two months in Bellandur region. “We are adamant about the implementation of STPs in apartment complexes around Bengaluru. There is no alternative,” says a KSPCB official. “We hear about this issue every day but this is a cost-effective method which is not impossible,” he adds.
Daily harassment
Ever since setting up STP has been made mandatory, apartment owners have been complaining of harassment and threats they are receiving from government authorities. Srikanth Narasimhan, general secretary of Bangalore Apartment Federation, says, “The authorities have said they will disconnect our power and water supply if we don’t install STPs by January 2018. They also said we will be charged with a penalty,” says S Natarjan.
Other problems
Apartment residents also say they are made to pay for facilities they don’t get such as the fee for garbage collection and for Cauvery water. For other services such as the water from the BWSSB pipelines, they are being overcharged. They claim to pay 300 per cent more for drinking water than compared to individual houses. “While an individual house pays Rs 1000 for drinking water from BWSSB, we as individuals of apartment complex pay Rs 4000,” says Srikanth.
“We as community people are doing our best to help the government be it rain-water harvesting or garbage segregation. We do it as a team and yet we are the victims of such threats,” adds Srikanth.
Voicing concern as a group
The silent rally scheduled on December 2 is the “last resort” says the organisers. There are 10,000 expected participants to form the human chain on arterial roads of Bengaluru including HSR Layout, Bellandur, Old Airport Raod, Old Madras Road, Sanjay Nagar, R T Nagar, Hebbal, Malleshwaram, Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar, J P Nagar, Kanakapura Road and Mysore Road.
No other way forward
“BBMP is in full position to know the provisions of the particular apartment when it was constructed, “ says CV Sudheendra, a lawyer. “As far as I know, STP was not mandatory 30 years ago and even if it was, it was not implemented by the BBMP,” he adds. Sundheendra however believes that sewage treatment plant will be better than 6 inches of sewage pipes that are unable to carry the load of hundreds of families. “We cannot set the clock back but proper foresight on this issue is the call of the hour, “ he adds.