Reports of a fresh survey being undertaken by the Joint Director of Surveys between Madiwala lake and Akshayanagar triggered rumours that properties violating the new National Green Tribunal (NGT) buffer zone guidelines would be earmarked for demolition. However, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said there was no truth in the speculation.
“The focus of our drive is only those properties that have been built on storm-water drains or in instances where the owners have closed the drains,” he said. So far, the BBMP has recovered close to 7.5 guntas of encroached land in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
“We demolished portions of an apartment building’s compound wall on Friday, and, we demolished the entire wall on Saturday. Four sheds or incomplete houses of squatters were demolished in addition to a house,” said Rajarajeshwari Nagar Zone Joint Commissioner Veerabadrappa.
In the face of growing criticism that the BBMP is not targeting big builders, BJP leader N.R. Ramesh on Saturday alleged that close to 30 malls, 29 tech parks and three hospitals had been built on encroached storm-water drains.
