Bengaluru Floods: BBMP Licensed Construction Plans, now Orders Demolition

A number of residential localities within the Mahadevapura Meeting constituency in Bengaluru aroused from sleep on Monday morning to the possibility of getting their properties demolished. The exceptional flooding, particularly within the Bellandur area, has stressed the ruling BJP executive to search out answers to the issue. The federal government has ordered the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to spot unlawful encroachment of stormwater drains (SWD) and transparent the encroachments on the earliest.

Alternatively, a number of homes which were erected at once over SWDs were given A-Khatas (permission) by way of the BBMP itself.

Govardhan Rao, a civil engineer, attempted to forestall the bulldozer from razing his space in AECS Format however was once bodily restrained by way of the police. The officers razed the compound wall of his space and requested him to vacate the valuables inside of 3 days.

Chatting with NewsClick, he mentioned, “They by no means gave me any understand or confirmed me any order replica. BBMP officers got here to my house on Saturday and informed me that my space can be demolished inside of per week. I lately renovated the interiors, and I’ve such a lot of issues inside of. My folks additionally are living in the similar development. Now I’ve to search for a space for hire.” The ache in his voice was once obvious; he was once suffering to make peace with the lack of his house.

The home of Govardhan Rao (in yellow paint)

He additionally discussed that his house was once a up to date building and that the BBMP had licensed the development plans and equipped him with the A-Khata. He mentioned, “I took a mortgage of Rs. 1.2 crore from the Financial institution of Baroda and built my space in 2011. This was once completed simplest after you have all of the approvals from the BBMP itself.”

Subsequent to Rao’s assets is some other development which has been rented to a small buying groceries centre referred to as ‘Ragam Mega Retailer’. All of the entrance facade of the shop was once demolished by way of the government.

Sadly for Rao, his three-storey house lies on a stretch of street that connects two lakes – the Munnekolala lake and the Chinnapanahalli lake. The present SWD lies beneath a number of concrete housing tasks. With the intention to repair the SWD, the BBMP will raze all of the buildings situated at once above it. The proposed SWD would attach the 2 lakes and minimize thru a minimum of seven homes, requiring their demolition (both wholly or partially). Alternatively, it’ll bypass a work of land belonging to an area Muslim activist referred to as MR Rafeeq. He’s a member of an organisation referred to as the Mulnivasi Ambedkar Sangha (MAS). The proposed SWD would narrowly keep away from two of his vacant (60×40) websites.

The native citizens say that if the SWD is made to cross thru his assets, then no space must be demolished in this format. In keeping with their recommendation, the SWD can also be diverted thru his land in addition to the street adjoining to Rao’s assets. Right now, the street stays intact, and the homes will probably be demolished. That is inflicting consternation amongst citizens who consider that his land has been spared on account of his political connections.

A distraught Govardhan Rao bodily held again by way of police (pic courtesy – Sanjevani Information)

 

Chatting with NewsClick, Rafeeq denied the presence of any SWD working below his lands. He plans to construct a compound round his website online to stop any encroachment all through the SWD enlargement.

As messy as it can be to believe this type of haphazardly deliberate format, the native citizens say that that is the case with many of the housing layouts within the Mahadevapura constituency. This constituency, particularly the Bellandur area, is a hub of IT and company giants. As increasingly more firms began putting in place stores in Bellandur, the encompassing spaces become a part of some of the profitable areas within the town. Residential tasks have been additionally prioritised with the intention to cater to the call for for housing in proximity to the economic hub.

One such residential format is known as Spice Lawn Format. The realm is in shut proximity to Munnekolala lake and is the centre of reputedly unending rows of paying-guest lodging and co-living areas. The BBMP officers say that they have got known some other twelve constructions in Spice Lawn, which will probably be demolished totally or partially to build and extend the prevailing SWD community. Spice Lawn is most commonly house to younger operating pros, who showed that this format was once partially submerged because of the rains closing week.

Armed with survey paperwork, village maps, and a JCB, a BBMP staff, together with engineers and a surveyor, visited the more than a few demolition websites and started arrangements for demolition. They marked the path of the SWD in purple paint, and the place imaginable, they started demolition. The demolition power began on Saturday and can pass on for the remainder of the week.

The BBMP additionally launched an inventory of primary builders encroaching on SWDs. Fifteen high-profile names are at the listing. In the meantime, Govardhan Rao and the affected citizens in AECS Format plan to manner the Karnataka Prime Courtroom on Tuesday, hoping for a keep order.