Large apartment communities across Karnataka, including Bengaluru, have been given 15 days to comply with pollution-control norms and ensure that their sewage treatment plants (STPs) are fully operational. Apartment complexes that fail to meet the requirements could face criminal action as the state government steps up action against untreated sewage being discharged into lakes, rivers and other waterbodies.
The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has set the deadline following a review of pollution levels and sewage treatment facilities across the state. Industrial clusters have been given a longer compliance period of three to six months to install and operationalise sewage treatment plants or restore existing facilities.
Environment and Ecology Minister Ramalinga Reddy has directed officials to inspect apartment complexes and initiate action against those found violating pollution-control norms. The focus is on ensuring that residential and industrial establishments treat wastewater before discharge.
Bengaluru produces a significant quantity of sewage every day. The city receives around 2,000 MLD of water daily and generates approximately 1,800 MLD of sewage. Of this, around 1,200 MLD is treated before discharge, while another 600 MLD is reportedly released into waterbodies without treatment. Authorities have found that several sewage treatment plants in apartment complexes have remained dysfunctional for years.
Some STPs operated by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are also reported to be out of order. Notices are expected to be issued to apartment complexes with non-functional plants, while the BWSSB has been directed to repair and restore its defunct units.
Apartment communities with more than 80 units are required to establish sewage treatment facilities and treat wastewater generated within their premises. According to reports cited during the review, more than 500 apartment complexes have violated the applicable norms, while many communities that already have STPs have stopped operating them.
Since there is no complete and exact database covering all such apartment complexes, scientific officers have been asked to conduct surveys of buildings with more than 80 units and examine records relating to the operation of sewage treatment plants.
The state government is also focusing on industrial areas. Of the 187 industrial layouts developed by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) across the state, only 11 reportedly have STPs. The KSPCB has been directed to issue notices to KIADB and provide three to six months for establishing new treatment facilities or making existing plants operational.
The action is linked to Karnataka’s wider efforts to reduce air and water pollution under initiatives including the National Clean Air Programme and the National River Conservation Plan. Industrial areas have been identified as an important focus for improving pollution control.
The issue has also extended to commercial establishments. A studio in Bidadi where a popular Kannada reality show is scheduled to be filmed has come under the KSPCB’s scrutiny over alleged environmental violations and the absence of mandatory consent. An inspection reportedly found that the studio lacked a functional STP, resulting in sewage being discharged into open drains.
The 15-day deadline for large apartment communities underlines the government’s intention to strengthen enforcement of wastewater treatment requirements and reduce the discharge of untreated sewage into Karnataka’s waterbodies.
