Karnataka High Court orders probe into linking of underground sewage to storm water drain

Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the interim order on a petition filed by S. Ramaswamy, his son Lokesh Kumar and M. Chandramohan — all three office bearers of the Shantipura Residents Welfare Association. The petitioners had challenged the legality of the proceedings initiated against them by the Tahsildar of Anekal taluk in 2016 for connecting the sewer lines with a storm water drain.

Observing the allegations made by the petitioners are shocking, the High Court stated that several residential layouts construct sewage drains connecting to a storm water drain in the absence of an underground drainage system.

The High Court said that a probe is needed to find who has approved the construction and made payments for the same.

“It is not permissible for the sewage drains to empty into rajakaluves (storm water drains). Apart from sedimentation and silting, there are various other adverse effects of the same, including waterlogging. No layout could have been sanctioned without adequate sewage facilities provided by the BWSSB (Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board) and if there are no sewerage facilities suitable Sewage Treatment Plants ought to have been established to process the sewage. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on the establishment of STPs in the apartments would apply to residential layouts too,” the High Court said.