Bengaluru: In a move towards sustainable water management, the Bangalore Apartments’ Federation (BAF) has signed an agreement with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to supply treated wastewater from residential communities for construction activities.
The agreement states that BAF will sell the treated water at Rs. 8 per kilolitre. Out of this, Rs. 2 per kilolitre will be retained by BWSSB as a facilitation fee. Explaining the financial aspects of the agreement, BWSSB Chairman Ram Prasath Manohar highlighted the dual benefits of the initiative, aiming to support logistical, labour, and maintenance needs while promoting environmental sustainability. Satish Mallya, Vice-President of BAF, emphasised that the primary goal of this initiative is the conservation of water. “Money is also important but not the only thing… it will certainly help in logistics, labour, and maintenance, but we strongly believe in sustainability,” Mallya said, as per a TOI report.
This new initiative follows a directive issued by BWSSB on March 22, which allows residential communities to commercially sell up to 50 percent of their sewage treatment plant (STP)-treated water. The treated water must adhere to the standards set by the National Green Tribunal and is barred from use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
The policy revision came after a prohibition on the use of potable water sourced from the Cauvery River and borewells for non-essential purposes. The city’s administration is now mandating the use of treated water for construction and similar activities to ensure a more sustainable approach to water utilisation.
Mallya further said that Bengaluru hosts approximately 3,500 sewage treatment plants within various residential areas, capable of treating about 720 million litres of sewage per day. “There are nearly 3,500 STPs in the residential communities of the city, which have a capacity to treat 720 million litres per day (MLD) of sewage water. After using treated water for flushing and gardening within our communities, we believe at least 300 MLD of water can be used for construction purposes,” he added.
Additionally, the Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDAI) will purchase the excess treated water, with BWSSB acting as the intermediary.
Image credit: Times now
