Bengaluru: A couple in Bengaluru's KR Pura area threatened to commit suicide on Wednesday after Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials attempted to raze down their residence as part of the ongoing anti-encroachment drive to rid stormwater drains in the city of obstructions.
The incident took place near SR Layout in the area. As officials approached the residence to bring down the compound wall built over a stormwater drain, the couple, identified as Sona and Sunil, subsequently poured petrol, threatening to set themselves alight if officials used bulldozers to raze down parts of the building.
Also read: Heavy rains lash Karnataka; one killed in wall collapse, normal life disrupted
Visuals displayed police personnel drenching the duo with water from hoses and buckets, and separating them. "Where did the stormwater drain come from when the house was built? We are also the people of Karnataka. The house was built by us with a loan of Rs 40 lakhs," the couple is learned to have questioned.
Speaking about the incident, BBMP Chief Engineer Basavaraj Kavade observed that the two had been obstructing the anti-encroachment drive since Tuesday. "There is no room for sentiment in law. It rained and a child was also washed away here. Therefore, the stormwater drain has to be made clear. They cannot do this, we will continue with our operation," he stated.
According to reports. the municipal corporation has cleared as many as 94 encroachments built on drains since September. The operations were escalated after heavy spells of rain in September this year saw several parts of Bengaluru in floodlike situations for extended periods.
