Bengaluru: The Bengaluru civic body on Monday began a demolition drive within days of the havoc caused by rains-triggered floods in parts of the city with Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai asserting that the anti-encroachment offensive would be done on a big scale. A team of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) initiated the exercise at eight places, which were allegedly causing flooding in and around Bellandur in the Mahadevapura zone.
The local residents have alleged that the BBMP has decided to demolish the houses of the poor to save the land of the rich people without conducting a scientific survey and without even giving notice. The BBMP, which has staked its claim to save Bengaluru, which reached a state of inundation recently, has started the roar of JCBs from Monday to demolish the "illegal" buildings in Rajakaluve.
Marked buildings in Maratthahalli, Varthur Main Road, Canal, Challaghatta, Mahadevapura, Hoodi, Basavannanagar, Sitarampalya, and KR Pura are being cleared by JCBs under the leadership of BBMP officers of respective zones.
A part of the three-storied building standing on the AECS layout main road of Chinnappa village of Marathahalli was demolished for five consecutive hours. The owner of this building has been accused of usurping the canal space of the nearby lake.
"BBMP has decided to demolish the houses of the poor by carrying out an unscientific survey. BBMP has started eviction without giving us any notice without surveying the area occupied by the adjacent apartment and the college. The authorities had red-marked the apartment of the influential people and the college as encroachment. But they suddenly started demolishing our houses without vacating their lands," the locals said.
Amid all this, speaking to the media at Vidhana Soudha, Revenue Minister R Ashok warned that illegal buildings will be razed by explosives like the Noida model. “By next monsoon, we’ve to clear all pending demolitions… all apartments will be removed, as you saw in Noida. Action to be against officials and builders”, said R Ashok on Rajakaluve encroachment.
“30-40 IT companies have encroached the Rajakaluve in Bengaluru city and apartments will be demolished without any partiality,” he added. The list of IT Parks and developers who have done SWD (stormwater drain) encroachments includes- Bagmane Tech Park and Purva Paradise in Mahadevapura, RBD in 3 locations, Wipro in Doddakannelli, Eco-Space in Bellandur, Gopalan in multiple locations & Diya school in Hoodi," BBMP said in a statement.
"Nalapad in Challaghatta is also a part of the list of IT Parks & developers indulging in SWD (stormwater drain) encroachments," it added. He also added that the assembly discussed the Bengaluru floods and the further course of action. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) informed the high court on Monday that 980 illegal buildings had been discovered throughout the city in a recent survey.
The survey was carried out in response to a high court injunction issued in conjunction with a Suo Moto Public Interest Litigation(PIL) on September 19.
