Bengaluru apartment residents hold rally against STPrule

As many as 10,000 apartment dwellers under the banner of Bengaluru Apartments' Federation today held a silent rally against notices issued by the city water supply and sewerage board to comply with rules on installing Sewage Treatment Plants in apartment complexes.
BAF General Secretary Shrikanth Narasimhan said installation of one STP would itself cost over Rs 1.25 crore.
"Installing STPs in 50-apartment complexes will be a costly affair. Installing one such unit will cost over Rs 1.25 crore," he said.
The apartment dwellers took part in human chain and silent protests in 40 locations of the city, according to Shriram Subramanian, who was among those who led the protest.

The Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) had issued notices, making it mandatory for apartments with 50 houses and above toinstall STPs.
The Board came up with this rule after the National GreenTribunal questioned the pollution of Bellandur Lake.

Many old apartment complexes do not have space to install STPs, Subramanian said.
He suggested that BWSSB should set up community STPs at various locations instead of asking apartment complexes to install STPs.
"The Board also could repair the existing STPs which are dysfunctional or semi-functional, including BWSSB's own plants," he said.
The Board can continue discharging the sewage into the same underground drains, Subramanian said.

"BWSSB is trying to blame the apartments for its inefficiency," he added.
Earlier, BWSSB Chairman Tushar Girinath had said that the the board will not make any changes to the notification as it is a government decision.