Twelve officials have been entrusted with the inspection work. They will regularly monitor buildings in Yelahanka, Dasarahalli, Byatarayanapura, Bommanahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Mahadevapura and Krishnarajapuram and issue notices to the residents to regularise sanitary connections.
As the areas have been brought under BBMP fold, the connections need to be approved by BWSSB. This makes the issue of unauthorised sanitary connections an acute one there. “The squad, which was constituted on August 14, will conduct surprise checks and direct the public to opt for regularisation of sanitary connections. It is mandatory for the owner to apply for a regular, new connection to BWSSB,” he said.
No penalty was being levied presently. Those opting for connections will have to pay only the pro-rata charge the one-time payment collected for new water and sanitary connections, he added. This was apart from the charges that need to be paid for inspection of premises following the submission of application, that ranges between Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 depending on the dimensions of the site. The pro-rata charges run as follows: Multistoried apartments are charged Rs 200 per square metre while commercial establishments are charged Rs 300 per square metre. In case of houses measuring 40x60 feet or below, with ground floor or with a first floor, a minimum charge of Rs 600 is levied. “This is calculated in terms of Rs 120 for a water discharge point, like tap, washbasin, etc. and any house is expected to have five discharge points,” the official said.
The move is expected to garner additional revenue running into crores for the BWSSB. “It will take us 45 days to make an assessment of the exact number of unauthorised connections and arrive at the amount the Board would earn,” he observed. The houses that need to regularise their connections are very high in Kaggadaspura and Nagwarpalya presently.
While some of the connections have been attached to the sewerage pipelines of the BWSSB, some pipes let out waste water into tanks or open drains, causing tremendous pollution to the environment. “When regular connections are sought for, all the pipelines will be connected to the BWSSB main sewerage lines,” the source said.