BWSSB has taken up a massive exercise to clean 2.4 lakh manholes

BENGALURU: For the first time, BWSSB has taken up a massive exercise to clean 2.4 lakh manholes in the city, its chairman Tushar Girinath announced on Tuesday. The drive began on January 1.

During a special council meeting organised by BBMP, Girinath said the board has set a target of 18 months for the purpose. He said these manholes have not been cleaned for the past several years.

Girinath said the move would bring relief to citizens who are paying anywhere between Rs 1,500 to Rs 5,000 to get manholes near their houses cleaned. Corporators raised the issue by stating that cleaning staff are demanding huge amounts, which is not acceptable.

Overflowing manholes prompted BWSSB to take up the drive. “All our jetting machines are being equipped with GPS and all manholes are being tracked on the basis of machines visiting them for cleaning,” he added. Girinath maintained that BWSSB has a shortage of jetting machines. He requested BBMP to provide BWSSB the land to dump the waste collected from the manholes.

He stated the minor irrigation department said water from Yettinahole reservoir will reach Tippagondanahalli dam by 2021-22.

‘BBMP penalised for BWSSB’s mistake’

Opposition leader Padmanabha Reddy slammed BWSSB for polluting Bellandur Lake. He said BBMP was fined Rs 500 crore by NGT because of BWSSB polluting lakes. “It is BWSSB’s job to ensure that sewage doesn’t enter storm water drains. The same water is entering the lakes. BWSSB has failed to manage its sewerage system,” he said.

