BENGALURU: Promoting the use of treated water for non-potable purposes, the govt’s new guidelines are expected to come as a big relief for small and mid-sized apartment complexes and housing societies across Bengaluru.
The new guidelines, due for release in a week according to forest minister Eshwar Khandre, may relax the rule of installation of sewage treatment plants (STPs).
The threshold for having mandatory STPs is expected to be raised from apartment complexes with 20 units or a total built-up area of 2,000 sqm to complexes with 150 units or housing societies that generate 100 KLD of sewage. Following a 2016 NGT order, the govt mandated the installation of STPs at apartment complexes having more than 20 units.
But the order was diluted a year later with the govt mandating STPs only for complexes having more than 50 units. However, both the decisions turned out to be impractical during implementation. Subsequently, the issue never got any traction, owing to the prolonged silence of the govt.
As the whole of Bengaluru is reeling under water scarcity, the issue came up for a discussion during a meeting of RWAs led by the Bangalore Apartments Federation (BAF) and BWSSB, BBMP and KSPCB officials as well as water experts on Wednesday. It was chaired by Khandre. BAF president Vikram Rai told STOI that the federation sought clarity over the matter and demanded changes to the guidelines.
“It is economically and technically unviable for apartments to operate STPs with a capacity of less than 100 KLD. Hence, the govt shall make STPs mandatory in apartment complexes that produce more than 100 KLD of sewage,” Rai said during the meeting.
Several experts also apprised the minister of the challenges in the operation of small STPs.
The minister directed the KSPCB officials to review the existing rules and suggest changes, keeping in mind the current challenges. Environment and ecology department officials have also reportedly suggested changes to the original 2016 order.
Khandre said after the meeting, “Currently, the apartments can reuse treated water only up to 40 per cent during rainy seasons and up to 60 per cent during summer months. However, the NGT in its December 2019 order mandated 100 per cent reuse of treated water. Complying with the rules, apartment complexes are unable to completely utilise their treated water due to various challenges and we want to facilitate the creation of a market for the treated water in the vicinity of the apartments by making necessary changes to the rules. The new rules and parameters for selling treated water will be released within a week.”
