BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday sought to know from the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP), the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) and other civic agencies whether sewage treatment plants could be set up whenever there is a large discharge of sewage water, particularly in apartments which house a number of people.

The apartments, it observed, could be the first in a chain to treat sewage water before it was discharged into the drainage system. The court was hearing a petition on the alleged violations of norms in a building coming up adjacent to Mount Carmel College in Vasanthnagar. While BMP counsel K.N. Putte Gowda claimed that the building violated norms, the court sought to know whether the BWSSB was prepared to handle the discharge of sewage by apartment blocks, including the apartment coming up at Vasanthnagar.

Justice Rammohan Reddy, who is hearing the petition, said it would be better if sewage was initially treated at the apartment complex itself before being let into the system. At present, a huge volume of sewage is being discharged by apartments all over the city into the drainage system, he added.

He said much of the discharged water contained detergent and other chemicals was being used in and around Kengeri, on the outskirts of Bangalore, to grow vegetables and other crops. Keshava Reddy, who appeared for the Government, suggested that the sewage water be tested and analysed for the presence of chemicals and only then the question of discharge should be tackled.

Earlier, the BMP, which had filed a compliance report on the issue of grant of building licence to the building, said there were violations in the building under construction and sought permission to remove the deviated portions. It said it had inspected the premises and issued preliminary and confirmatory orders under Section 321 (1) and 321 (2) of the KMC Act to the builder.

It said when the petitioner did not receive the provisional notice on July 18 it sent it through courier and also pasted it on the walls of the building. A confirmatory order was issued on August 3. Justice Rammohan Reddy adjourned further hearing on the matter.

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