19 industries pollute water body, Govt agencies look the other way

19 industries pollute water body, Govt agencies look the other way
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: About 19 industrial units situated in and around Thippagondanahally reservoir have been polluting the water body, as the authorities look the other way. The Pollution Control Board and the Environment and Ecology authorities have failed to act in spite of several letters and reminders to this effect by the Bangalore Water Supply & Sewerage Board (BWSSB).

BWSSB chief engineer B.R. Nagendra had written to the Board and the Government in June highlighting the threats the reservoir –which feeds a third of Bangalore’s population –is facing from industrial pollutants. TG Halli reservoir gets water from the two rivers – Arkavathy and Kumudvathy.

While Arkavathy flows from Nandi Hills, Kumudvathy has its course from Shivagange and Dabaspet. The industrial units that have been cropped up on either side of these two river streams have been letting their pollutants into the streams below, which reach the tank flowing with the water.

The BWSSB, however, has identified 19 industrial units, which it has found, have been letting pollutants with poisonous contents. Pollution Control Board chairman Bhoomanand Manay confirmed receipt of complaints from the BWSSB and maintained that the Board has acted on some of them. The details about the names of industries and the nature of action taken, however, were not available with him.

According to BWSSB chief engineer T. Venkataraju, the Pollution Control Board has evolved 32 types of standards for different types of industries to define what constitutes poisonous waste. If the pollutants remain within these limits, they are not treated poisonous.

According to BWSSB official at the reservoir Somashekar, though industrial waste is let into the reservoir, the Board purifies water before supplying it to the City. This has limited the danger to a great extent.