Bengaluru: Water board penalises apartments for sewage misuse, expands verification drive

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has intensified efforts to curb illegal water and sewerage connections in Bengaluru, targeting a revenue of ₹300 crore in fines. The move comes after over 300 apartment complexes were penalised for discharging sewage into the underground drainage (UGD) network. This latest initiative aims to broaden enforcement across commercial buildings and housing societies in the city. (The Times of India)

Stronger enforcement following initial compliance

BWSSB has already collected around ₹100 crore in penalties from 324 apartment complexes identified during a pilot survey. These complexes were found to be illegally discharging sewage into the BWSSB UGD. “Based on this finding, we’ve decided to replicate the exercise across Bengaluru,” said BWSSB chairperson Ram Prasath Manohar (The Times of India).

A city-wide verification drive began on September 3, focusing on commercial buildings, apartment complexes, and housing societies. Bill collectors are using a dedicated survey app to collect data such as electricity bill IDs, mobile numbers, number of floors, borewell usage, and BWSSB connection details (The Times of India).

Technology to strengthen detection and regularisation

The BWSSB’s “Blue Force” team has been tasked with enforcing penalties and ensuring compliance. Additionally, AI tools are being employed to analyse multiple parameters—water consumption patterns, illegal connections, improper rainwater diversion into sewers, and the overall impact on the groundwater and UGD network (The Times of India).

The drive also aims to regularise unauthorised connections and connect buildings to the Cauvery water supply, intended to help reduce groundwater depletion across the city (The Times of India).

Scope of violations and financial implications

From a total of 43,000 connections inspected, BWSSB identified approximately 6,000 unauthorised connections and issued notices to 4,500 buildings. With Bengaluru’s water board managing 11.2 lakh connections, these violations represent a substantial challenge in terms of both regulation and water conservation. BWSSB officials estimate that addressing illegal connections and regularisation dues could generate up to ₹200 crore more in revenue, bringing the total expected penalties to ₹300 crore (The Times of India).

Legal and environmental accountability

As per existing regulations, private layouts or gated communities spanning 10 acres or more are required to have their own sewage treatment plants (STPs) and UGD systems. However, many such systems have become non-operational following mergers with BBMP due to cost concerns, leading residents to illegally discharge sewage into BWSSB systems. The ongoing drive is capable of uncovering these violations and enforcing corrective measures (The Times of India).

Environmental and regulatory impact

This verification initiative is expected to deliver multiple benefits:

  • Enhanced legislative enforcement and revenue collection
  • Reduction in unregulated water usage
  • Promotion of sustainable water sources through Cauvery connections
  • Prevention of groundwater depletion across residential and commercial zones