Bengaluru: The sewage treatment plant (STP) at Ulsoor Lake is nearing completion and is set to be opened by mid-February.
An official from Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) said, “The structure is complete and the plant is being set up. A few last-minute works are being carried out and once the technical and mechanical process is tested, it is good to go.” The capacity of the plant is 2 MLD (million litre per day), built on a 30x30 metre area, said a BWSSB engineer, who did not wish to be named. “Sewage water flowing from areas in central and eastern divisions of the city was being let into a restricted area near the lake. Still, sewage water entered the lake, polluting it. With the STP, the sewage water will be treated before being let into the lake,” he said.
A few organisations had opposed the move of letting treated water into the lake as they thought it would harm the aquatic habitat and pollute the water. But the engineer said that sewage water will be treated according to the parameters suggested by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KPSCB) and will be also be chlorinated before letting into the lake. “There will be no harm to aquatic life or lake waters, as the sewage water will be treated at a high level,” he said.
The residue will be collected and can be used as manure by farmers or the civic bodies.
A couple of years ago, Ulsoor Lake saw several fish dying because of untreated water being released into the water body. But once the STP starts functioning, there won’t be any flow of sewage into the lake. STPs are being set up at all major lakes in the city, which will help protect these important water bodies from getting polluted by effluents.
