BENGALURU: Occupants of PSI Sevagram, a home for elderly Christian priests in Chettupalya near Kengeri, were shocked to see their private well covered with dead fish. Just three days ago, the well was full of thriving Tilapia fish.
The reason, they said, was overflowing sewage from a broken line, complaints about which have not been attended to by authorities concerned for more than two years. The sewage has been contaminating waterbodies in the vicinity, including Konnasandra Lake. “We had between 500 and 600 fish and all the big ones have died. We filled two large buckets and they amounted to 250 dead fish. Now, only the small ones are left,” Father Jose Kokkandathil told TOI.
He and other housemates living at Sevagram cultivate a variety of food products — arecanut, coconut, banana, nutmeg, and other herbal medicines — on their 1.5 acre land. They were also rearing Tilapia fish for their own consumption.
The inmates say that they began with hundred-odd fish, which naturally multiplied before dying due to this “man-made calamity”.
Pointing out that they have been making complaints about the broken sewage line for over two years, Father Kokkandathil added: “Three weeks ago, someone from BBMP came to inspect the problem, but we have seen no action since.”
The well maintained by the Sevagram is used to collect rainwater and is 30ft wide and 30ft deep. “Ours is slightly lower than the other areas, so the sewage flows in our direction. Since it has been raining heavily this week, waste water from the broken pipe overflowed copiously into our well, and poisoned our fish, killing them,” one of the caretakers said.
The occupants also complain of stench that prevails due to the sewage pipe issue.
TOI made several phone calls to BWSSB engineers and the BBMP officer, who had come for inspection three weeks ago. While the BWSSB official in charge of the area said she was newly appointed, another BWSSB official said he was promoted and transferred.
