499 property owners issued notices by BWSSB

Close on the heels of deciding not to supply water to houses which haven’t implemented rainwater harvesting (RWH), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has served notices to 499 property owners for letting sewage directly into drains. The tech corridor of Whitefield accounts for the highest number of violators. The revelation came to light during the inter-departmental coordination meeting chaired by chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar. BWSSB has directed the property owners to regularise their illegal connections — they are releasing sewage into drains and not BWSSB sewer lines — failure to do which will attract a criminal case under the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1974. BWSSB chairman TusharGirinath said releasing sewage into drains and lakes is illegal. “Untreated water should not be released. All offenders have been issued notices under various acts and directions have been issued for filing of criminal cases,” he said. The water board identified these properties — including residential and commercial — after a circular was issued by its engineer-in-chief Kemparamaiah. A month-long drive led to the identification of errant property owners in Ayyappanagara, Hoodi Garden, Kodigehalli, ITPB Main Road, PattandurAgrahara, Hope Farm Junction, Pai Layout, Green Garden Layout, Munnekolala, Mahadevapura, Kundalahalli Gate, KR Puram, Bhattarahalli, TC Palya, RR Nagar Ideal Homes, HalageVaderahalli, Nayandahalli, Kengeri, Byrasandra, Malleshpalya, Marathahalli Ring Road, Raghavanagara, Kalidasa Layout and Kavika Layout. Kemparamaiah said in the circular: “The BWSSB has provided a drainage network in the city and despite that, some residents are flouting norms by letting sewage directly into open drains and polluting lakes. This clearly violates sections 66 and 68 of the BWSSB Act 1964, Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act 1976 and Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act 1974.”