Bengaluru Water Pollution: Apartments, Industries Face Action Over Untreated Waste

Bengaluru steps up action against water pollution

Bengaluru is set to intensify action against apartments, individual houses, industries and commercial establishments that discharge untreated waste into drains and water bodies.

Karnataka Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy has directed officials to identify establishments that are not connected to the drainage network or are failing to comply with sewage treatment norms. Officials have been given one week to submit a detailed report on such units.

The move comes amid growing concerns over the quality of Bengaluru’s water bodies and the flow of untreated sewage downstream.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) have been given one month to take corrective measures, including improving sewage treatment and reducing waste entering rivers, particularly the Cauvery and Arkavathy.

Sewage treatment capacity remains a concern

The scale of the challenge is significant. Bengaluru generates around 2,580 million litres of sewage every day, while the 37 functioning sewage treatment plants under BWSSB have a combined capacity of 1,364.5 million litres per day.

This leaves a treatment gap of about 1,215.5 million litres per day.

Reddy said only around 25% of sewage treatment plants are currently operating in accordance with National Green Tribunal guidelines and prescribed parameters. BWSSB has therefore been asked to address the shortcomings within a month.

The board has also been directed to accelerate work on 42 sewage treatment plants with a combined treatment capacity of 1,147 million litres per day. Another 60 million litres per day of capacity is planned through upgrades to existing facilities.

Deadlines set for new sewage treatment plants

The government has set December as the deadline for seven sewage treatment plants with a combined capacity of 51 million litres per day. Seventeen additional plants, together capable of treating 413 million litres per day, have been given a December 2027 deadline.

BWSSB has also been directed to complete nine plants with a combined capacity of 148 million litres per day, while another nine plants with a total capacity of 535 million litres per day have been assigned a December 2029 deadline.

The minister is also scheduled to inspect the polluted Vrushabhavathy and KC valleys, along with industrial areas such as Peenya and Jigani, to assess solid and liquid waste management.

Authorities have also been asked to examine pollution from residential, commercial and industrial units at the source, as wastewater flowing out of Bengaluru can affect communities and water resources downstream.