665 trees marked for felling for two new STPs on Bengaluru outskirts

GBA seeks public objections as BWSSB plans large sewage treatment plants at Doddabele and Mailasandra to address the city’s wastewater treatment gap

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has issued public notices inviting objections and suggestions regarding a proposal to remove 665 trees for the construction of two sewage treatment plants (STPs) planned by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) on the outskirts of the city.

The proposed STPs, each with a capacity of 100 Megaliters per Day (MLD), are planned at Doddabele and Mailasandra villages. As per notices issued by the office of the Deputy Conservator of Forests, BWSSB has sought permission to fell 355 trees at Doddabele and 310 trees at Mailasandra, stating that the trees fall within the project boundaries.

The applications were submitted by BWSSB’s wastewater management projects wing under the Vrushabhavathi Valley Division. These two facilities are part of BWSSB’s larger plan to establish 17 new sewage treatment plants across Bengaluru, with a combined capacity of 583 MLD, aimed at reducing the city’s existing wastewater treatment shortfall.

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Currently, BWSSB supplies about 2,225 MLD of Cauvery water to Bengaluru. Officials estimate that nearly 1,440 MLD becomes wastewater. Of this, 1,212 MLD is presently treated and reused by various agencies and industries, leaving a significant gap that the proposed plants are intended to bridge.

Under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, citizens have 10 days from the publication of the notice to submit objections or suggestions. These can be addressed to the Deputy Conservator of Forests and Tree Officer, GBA, as well as the concerned BWSSB project officials. Authorities have clarified that submissions must be specific and directly related to the proposed works.

At Doddabele, the identified trees include a mix of fruit-bearing, plantation and native species, such as sapota, coconut and palm, along with neem, honge (Indian beech), banyan and peepal. The Mailasandra site includes a large number of coconut and palm trees, in addition to neem, tamarind, honge and subabul. Several coconut trees at this location are reported to be over 10 metres tall.

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The proposal has come at a time when public concern is growing over large-scale tree felling linked to infrastructure projects across Bengaluru.