Mangaluru : Mayor Kavita Sanil on Sunday warned that she will initiate criminal proceedings against promoters of multi-storey buildings and industries who do not install sewage treatment plants (STP) on their premises during the construction phase itself.

Speaking to reporters here, Ms. Sanil said the Mayors meeting in Bengaluru on Saturday discussed ways to prevent environment pollution and this was one of them.

The government has made STPs mandatory in multi-storey buildings and industries by way of a notification issued last year.

She noted that the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has issued notices to 482 industries around Bellandur Lake in Bengaluru following directions from the National Green Tribunal.

The Mayor said that action is being proposed by KSPCB against industries that do not have STPs and Mangaluru City Corporation would follow suit.

She said that the meeting also discussed about plastic menace and noted that the corporation has banned the use of plastic as per a government notification. Mangaluru would be made plastic-free in seven months, she added.

Speaking about the drinking water supply situation in the city, the Mayor said that the water level at the Thumbe Vented Dam is comfortable at 4.9 m. As such, the civic body is supplying water daily to residents. Summer showers have helped increase the water level at Thumbe, she said.

Ms. Sanil said that she is planning to hold a phone-in programme with the residents once a month to directly interact with them and get to know the problems they are facing.