Officials unaware of approvals as Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board begins STP expansion at Saul Kere

Bengaluru: Work on the expansion of a Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) sewage treatment plant (STP) within the premises of Saul Kere, a key lake near Bellandur’s technology corridor, was reportedly halted by the Bengaluru East City Corporation (BECC) after officials admitted they were unable to verify whether the project had secured the required approvals.

The development has exposed a lack of coordination and awareness among civic authorities regarding works at the ecologically sensitive lake land. A BECC official initially denied having any knowledge of the ongoing activity at the site. After TOI contacted senior officials, the matter was taken up and instructions were issued to stop the work until the necessary clearances were produced. “We have instructed them to stop the work till they share a copy of permissions obtained. I was told that permissions have been obtained from the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority, but we have not received copies of the same. We are not aware on what terms the approvals were given by KTCDA,” the official said, adding that the work began Tuesday.

Residents. however, alleged that civil works had been underway for more than 10 days. They pointed to tin-sheet barricades erected on portions of the lake, movement of construction vehicles and the creation of an access road through an opened section of the lake fencing. “There is no way the works could have proceeded without the knowledge of officials. The lake fence was opened up and a road was made to bring in vehicles,” said a resident monitoring developments at the site.

“The BWSSB is upgrading the 1 MLD STP to 28-40 MLD capacity. This requires 5 acres of land, which is why this is being expanded into the lake’s wetland. The workers have created a bund, which they said was to protect the construction site from rainwater,” the resident added.

Residents expressed concern over the lake potentially getting filled with treated water from STPs, thereby reducing the flood-mitigation capacity of the lake. Saul Kere is located right behind RMZ Ecospace and Ecoworld technology parks off Outer Ring Road. The area has been infamous for severe flooding after heavy rain as water from multiple lakes flow into Saul Kere before flowing towards Bellandur lake.