Tech park leads way in water conservation

Tech park leads way in water conservation

NR Madhusudhan
Express News Service
First Published : 23 Jul 2010 01:12:32 AM IST
Last Updated : 23 Jul 2010 09:44:40 AM IST

BANGALORE: Anit park is in the forefront of sewage treatment and water recycling. Manyata Tech Park at Nagwara near Hebbal, generates around 8 lakh litres of water every day by treating the sewage generated there.

The water, which meets 65 per cent of the park's requirements, is used in toilets, for maintaining gardens, washing and construction. The park houses software companies on 175 acres, with the remaining 185 acres being set aside for residential purposes. Only 5 lakh litres of water is bought in a day to meet the needs of the 45,000 employees and those who stay on the premises.

The Embassy Group, the promoter, has installed 17 sewage treatment plants of various capacities there.

“Besides generating water, we are able to save a lot of money by treating sewage. We spend Rs 1,050 to treat 1 lakh litres of sewage, while we have to pay Rs 3,000 for every lakh litre of water we buy,” said R Srinivasmurthy, a maintenance engineer. The sledge generated during the sewage treatment is used as manure in the gardens.

The park has also installed rainwater harvesting systems in all its buildings. “There are some industries that treat sewage but Manyata Tech Park is the first major SEZ in the state to treat and use sewage completely,” said Raja Rao, an expert in the field. Rao suggested that the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewage Board (BWSSB) use this as a model to educate people about the advantages of treated sewage.

“Everyday, the BWSSB is generating more than 70 MLD of water by treating water at Vrishabavathi Valley but there is no demand for it. If sewage and effluents are treated at the source, we can check the pollution of groundwater. The government should strictly implement norms pertaining to sewage discharge,” Rao said.