Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said they’re planning to ban the construction of apartments in the city after consulting with various stakeholders. The government’s proposal comes in the view of the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s ongoing Cauvery Water Supply Phase. The BWSSB’s project, which aims at providing drinking water connections to the suburban areas of Bengaluru, is likely to be completed in the next five years.
We will soon hold a meeting with all the developers and to take their opinion before implementing the rules,” he added. Parameshwara also directed Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials to conduct inspections on all the existing apartments to check whether they have installed Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
DCM Parameshwara also said that concerned officials have been directed to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for the proposed Linganamakki Project, which aims at diverting water from Netravati River to Bengaluru, Kolar, and Chikkaballapur to meet drinking water requirements.
Major Reason Behind Construction Ban Decision
Too much dependence on water tankers-After meeting officials from urban development at his office, Parameshwara said, “In Bengaluru, we are seeing many apartments are coming up without having proper permanent water sources for the building. The builders are giving the flats to the customers and the residents are facing severe water crisis and they are depending on the tankers for water supply. Hence we are planning to enforce a ban on building apartments in the city, for the next five years.”
Lack of providing basic amenities from the builder side-“Bengaluru has numerous apartment complexes and many keep coming up. With builders of apartments going ahead with construction and sale of apartments without making adequate arrangements for a basic necessity like drinking water, the state government is seriously considering clamping a five-year ban on granting permissions for the construction of apartments,” Dr. G Parameshwara said.
Bengaluru sewage treatment plant issue– Bengaluru produces 1,440 million liters per day (MLD) of sewage but the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has the capacity to treat only 1,057 MLD of sewage. The BWSSB has 24 sewage treatment plants spread across the core area of Bengaluru city and a few urban local bodies in its suburbs. However, 110 villages in the city’s periphery, which were added to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits in 2005, do not have sewage connections at all. The wastewater is directly flowing into the lakes and ultimately the Vrishabhavathi and the Dakshina Pinakini Rivers.
Lack of sanitation of water- Parameshwara said, “In terms of drinking water, it is brought from some lake and given to the people, without checking if it is clean or not. Some people have complained that they are getting skin diseases because of this.”
Lack of monsoon- India’s monsoon has progressed more slowly than usual after hitting the southern state of Kerala nearly a week late. Monsoon rains have been 44% lower-than-average so far in June, delaying the sowing of summer-sown crops and raising concerns that parts of the country could face a worsening drought. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast average rainfall in 2019, while the country’s only private forecaster Skymet has predicted below-normal rainfall. Karnataka, like other states in India, has been revolving under a severe drought due to fading rain.
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