Mangaluru: The Belma Gram Panchayat has directed three establishments, including two residential/commercial complexes in Derlakatte, to set up sewage treatment plant (STP) and other measures in the next two months. The panchayat has started issuing notices to other multi-storied buildings in the area asking them to construct STPs at the earliest.

The action of the panchayat follows discovery of traces of petrol and diesel in the water of three disused wells in Kanikere off Deralakatte – the place that many educational institutions are located – on November 8. Residents then expressed concern over open discharge of untreated sewage from three residential establishments and a bakery unit that had made underground water non-potable.

Following the incident, separate teams from District Disease Surveillance Office and Karnataka Pollution Control Board took water samples for testing. As the KSPCB team found the underground fuel storage of a nearby petrol bunk as the source of seepage of fuel into the groundwater, the gram panchayat ordered closure of operations of petrol bunk till the operators replace the leaking fuel tank.

The District Disease Surveillance Officer sent water samples from nine open wells, seven borewells and the stream in Kanikere for bacteriological test at the district laboratory. Water samples of two wells were sent to National Institute of Technology-Karnataka, Surathkal, for chemical analysis. Pointing that the underground water is getting polluted because of open discharge of untreated sewage, the District Disease Surveillance Officer in his letter to Panchayat Development Officer on November 23 asked the latter to take action against the concerned.

Panchayat Development Officer Naveen Hegde told that following notices by the panchayat, proprietors of two apartments agreed in writing to construct STPs in the next two months. The proprietor of the third apartment, he said, has sought help of panchayat to move treated water of their STP as their pipeline carrying the treated water to the stream has been sealed as untreated water of another complex was also flowing in it. The bakery unit has agreed to move the sewage to a nearby STP, he said. To prevent recurrence of Kanikere type situation, Mr. Hegde said notices are being issued to 40 multi-storied building asking them to construct STP at the earliest. “They should construct STP and we will take measures to move the treated water,” he said.