Wider roads here will mean water scarcity

Wider roads here will mean water scarcity
If TDR targets an apartment on Doddaballapur main road, the sewerage treatment tank will go and residents won’t be able to recycle 2,00,000 litres of water a day
Gayatri.Nair @timesgroup.com


BBMP’s road-widening exercise is now raising the hackles of residents at Prestige Monte Carlo on Doddaballapur Main Road who say they will lose their Sewerage Treatment Plant (STP) and water tanks.
A resident, Major (retired) Amit Chatterjee, told Bangalore Mirror: “The BBMP issued a notice on June 10, saying they will widen the road to the right of Prestige Monte Carlo leading to Ananthapura Village. The government’s Revised Master Plan 2015 seeks to widen it to 40 feet, but BBMP’s notices say they are planning to widen it to 60 feet to reduce heavy traffic.”
Residents think the reason is a preposterous one as there’s hardly any traffic here.
CONSERVE WATER? HAH!
If BBMP has its way, water will become a big problem for residents in the 440 flats. “BBMP intends to acquire 15 feet of Prestige Monte Carlo along its 1,500 feet stretch but this is where the complex’s entire domestic water storage, filtration and distribution system is located. This is also where the underground static water storage tanks for firefighting, fire engine pumps, and a driveway to allow free movement of fire tenders and other emergency services like ambulances are,” said Chatterjee.
Residents fear they will also lose their STP and water tanks. “Three huge tanks, 100ft by 20ft each, lie beneath the setback area, storing 7,00,000 litres of water both for drinking and firefighting,” said Anand.
Also, the complex had a STP set up in 2004, in keeping with the recommendations of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), BWSSB and BBMP. “Our STP has a capacity of 250 KLD for tertiary treatment of waste water which is then recycled for landscape irrigation, basement and driveway washing, car-washing etc,” said M P Singh, another resident.
Residents say, the cost of relocating the plant and water tanks will be a whopping Rs 4 crore and it will take a year for it to happen. “What will we do till then?” asked Singh.
NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT
Residents have also sent a letter to the Joint Commissioner, BBMP, Yelahanka, and chairmen of KSPCB and BWSSB.
“We clearly mentioned that by surrendering a part of the property, the complex would be unable to conserve water to the tune of 2,00,000 litres per day by recycling. It would lead to over-exploitation of groundwater and water scarcity in the locality which cannot be in public interest,” said Chatterjee.
BBMP VERSION
An official from the BBMP joint commissioner’s office, Yelahanka zone, said, “The road widening project has been taken up for the benefit of Ananthapura, Veeranagar, Kempanahalli, Ramagonahalli and neighbouring villages. If the apartment residents have good approach roads, others should enjoy the same convenience. There is a possibility of BBMP taking the compound wall, but there is no question of taking the tank and STP.”