‘Store and recharge ground water’

March 22: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is preparing an action plan for recycling of waste water using latest technology.

P.B. Ramamurthy, chairman, BWSSB said the water board was working on ensuring that sewage did not enter storm water drains, but found its way to a reservoir to be treated and released for non-potable use in the city. “We intend to create more public awareness on the need for recycling,” he explained, speaking at a seminar organised by the BWSSB on the occasion of World Water Day.

Justice V. Gopal Gowda of the Karnataka High Court, who also spoke at the event, lamented that Bengaluru which could once rely on good quality water from its tanks and streams, including the Vrishabhavathi, Chelagatta and Hebbal valleys , was now having to put up with contamination of its water sources by industrial and domestic sewage.

“Unfortunately the sewage is also contaminating the city’s groundwater. We need to make sure that untreated sewage is not let into the system by taking all precautions to see that soak pits and septic tanks are leak-proof and designed properly,” he said.

Advising people to do their bit to conserve water, he pointed out that secondary contamination could be avoided by storing water in clean tanks and vessels. “People should contribute to recharging of ground water. Every citizen has a role to play in taking care of the city’s scarce water resources and ensure its sustained availability,” the judge added.