Huge relief for flat owners in Bengaluru, government budges on Sewage Treatment Plants rule

BENGALURU: The state government has finally yielded to the consistent pressure brought upon it by apartment owners across the city and announced some relaxations on Thursday.

While revoking the decision that all apartment complexes, irrespective of when they were constructed, have to compulsorily install Sewage Treatment Plants by December 31 this year, it has now exempted apartment complexes with 20 units or more but less than 50 units, from installing STPs.

Briefing newspersons on Thursday after a detailed presentation made by Bengaluru Apartments Federation, an umbrella organisation of 200 apartment associations in the City, on the impracticality of installing STPs in old apartments, Bengaluru Development Minister K J George said apartment complexes connected to the sewage network of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board do not have to install them retrospectively. “Apartments with 50-plus units will have to install them prospectively (if it was constructed after the BWSSB order was issued on January 19, 2016),” he said. However, apartments not connected to the BWSSB underground drainage system have to install STPs compulsorily regardless of when they were constructed.

“Most parts of the newly added areas to BBMP in the five zones of Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Dasarahalli and Byatarayanapura are not covered by the sewerage network,” a BWSSB official explained. BWSSB had recently cautioned that penalty will be levied from January 1 on all apartments which have not installed STPs. Board chairman Tushar Girinath said, “There will be no penalty levied from January 1 on anyone as the penalty clause stands suspended for now.”