A park filled with sewage water

A park filled with sewage water
G Manjusainath Bangalore, May 17, DHNS

A public park filled with water could be a double delight for kids.

But little do the kids in Kodigehalli under Byatarayanapura Assembly constituency know that the water they are frolicking in is sewage water, let out illegally into the BDA-approved JRD Tatanagar Layout by the apartments and revenue layouts of Kodigehalli.

The park near the Tatanagar Residents’ Welfare Association office is always full of sewage water, thanks to the overflowing minor stormwater drain right next to it.
What’s more worrying is that the children from the nearby slums swim and take bath in the water knowing that it carries human faeces and mosquito larvae.

The BBMP, BDA and BWSSB have turned a blind eye not only towards the people’s problems, but also towards the health hazards this could cause to the children.

“We brought this to the notice of our local MLA (Krishna Byregowda) and the corporator (Ashwath Narayana Gowda), but so far no solution has been offered to us,” Narayana, the office-bearer of the Tatanagar Residents’ Welfare Association said.

He alleged that the reason was that a very influential person in Kodigehalli was not letting the sewage to be connected to the nearby sewerage line.

A bank employee, whose house is located near the park, complained that none of the civic agencies were ready to heed to the plight of the residents.

“It is as if a systematic plan is hatched to drive people out of this area.

The BDA, BWSSB or the BBMP is not questioning the residents of Kodigehalli as to why they are letting the sewage water into the storm water drains of Tatanagar Layout,” said the woman.

Corporator of Kodigehalli ward, Ashwath Narayana Gowda, said the problem faced by the Tatanagar Layout residents was certainly big and has been persisting for the last nine years. “The problem started with the formation of the layout as the developers did not put in place a proper outlet for sewage water. Now, the water is reverting to the layout from the major storm water drain,” he pointed.

Gowda assured he would find a solution to the problem and would hold meetings with the residents of Kodigehalli and Tatanagar.