Anti-encroachment drive resumed in B’luru

“Two buildings (ground plus one floor) built on a 30×40 feet plot in Munnekolala and Shantiniketan layout on the stormwater drain (SWD) were razed. Two sheds which were nearby on the drains were also demolished,” the BBMP said in a statement.

The civic body Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday resumed its anti-encroachment drive — after nearly two months— in Mahadevapura zone of Karnataka’s Bengaluru, people privy to the matter said.

The BBMP on Thursday resumed its anti-encroachment drive in Mahadevapura zone of Karnataka’s Bengaluru (HT Photo)

According to the BBMP release, the civic body, after conducting a fresh survey, removed six encroachments in the zone.

“Two buildings (ground plus one floor) built on a 30×40 feet plot in Munnekolala and Shantiniketan layout on the stormwater drain (SWD) were razed. Two sheds which were nearby on the drains were also demolished,” the BBMP said in a statement.

“One shed built on the SWD in Amani Bellandur Kane (ABK) village area and a 60m long compound wall were cleared,” the BBMP said.

The civic body said appropriate action will be taken against the rest of the encroachments after the tehsildar of Bengaluru Urban district issues a notice to the encroachers in Mahadevapura zone.

According to the civic body, a total of 1,174 encroachments on stormwater drains were identified in the Mahadevapura zone in 2015-16. Out of these, 1,032 encroachments have already been cleared and 142 encroachments are yet to be cleared.

On October 10, the civic body had halted the encroachment drive following a stay by the Karnataka high court. The stay order was vacated and the BBMP got tehsildar’s clearance on December 13 to go ahead with the demolition.

On December 20, BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Girinath conducted a meeting and directed the revenue department to complete the survey of encroachments on stormwater drains by December 28.

During the same meeting, he instructed the revenue officials, tehsildars, and BBMP officials to coordinate and carry out an encroachment clearance drive.

He also directed the officials to take measures to settle the ongoing disputes in various courts.“Revenue officials, tehsildars, and BBMP officials should work in coordination with each other. All the encroachers should be served a notice and the tehsildars should soon hear if there are any objections and pass a removal order,” he had said.

Girinath had said that the survey in Yelahanka was complete and by December 28, the survey in all other zones will be completed. “After that, an order will be passed in 15 days to resume the stormwater drain encroachment removal drive,” Girinath had said.

After heavy rains lashed the IT hub in September and October, many parts of the city were inundated, exposing Bengaluru’s poor infrastructure and substandard drainage system.

Experts had pointed out that one of the main reasons behind the flooding is the encroachment of drains and wetlands. The BBMP had then taken up anti-encroachment eviction drive to ensure the smooth flow of water across the city.