BENGALURU: In status reports submitted by BBMP and BWSSB to the Lokayukta, underground cables of a private telecom company have been cited as the reason for sewage leak into a government school premises on July 18.
Lokayukta Justice P Vishwanatha Shetty had taken suo-moto cognisance based on a news report about students being affected by domestic effluent flowing into their school premises. The BWSSB chief engineer said that 15 days prior to the incident the telecom firm installed cables on the service road along Medahalli flyover and had broken pipes. Hence, sewage was flowing reverse into the school. Lokayukta police found that the cable installers had, in some places, passed cables from inside the drain which restricted easy flow of sewage. During the rain, sewage overflowed and entered the compound via the drain. Students had protest the following day and a police complaint was registered against persons who had broken UGD pipes and laid the OFC cables.
While the OFC cell of the BBMP was held responsible for giving permission without inspecting the spot, BBMP Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said the telecom company carried out the work after taking nod from NHAI. He said BBMP did not give permission.