In the firing line from citizens in areas inundated during the rains this year, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is under pressure to keep up the encroachment clearance drive it started last year. However, not having enough surveyors is being cited as a hurdle.
The BBMP has identified over 90 areas that need to be surveyed to ascertain the extent of encroachment. Many of these areas were flooded following heavy rains that lashed the city earlier this year.
According to senior BBMP officials, these areas were prioritised and identified for encroachment clearance given the extent of flooding and damage caused in September. The civic body even wrote to the Revenue Department, coming under the Deputy Commissioner (Urban), the same month requesting surveyors to be deputed for a survey.
“The BBMP does not have any surveyors of its own. We have to depend on the Revenue Department to depute surveyors,” an official from the BBMP’s stormwater drains department said.
The BBMP has identified 1,988 cases of encroachment of drains, of which 403 have been cleared. The remaining 1,585 cases need to be surveyed. Of these, 90 cases — in Nagawara, Rachenahalli, Dasarahalli, Thanisandra, Kodigehalli, Byatarayanapura and Gottigere — have been identified as ‘high priority’.
“We can clear the encroachments only after the extent is ascertained by a survey. We need at least one surveyor for each zone. After the survey, the encroachments have to be marked, following which we can initiate action to clear them,” the official said and added that the need of the hour is also to increase the carrying capacity of the drain network.
Explaining, the official said that due to increase in surface run off, lack of percolation, siltation in the drains and encroachments, the drain network is under stress.
Bettegowda, BBMP’s Chief Engineer (SWD), told The Hindu that the civic body would once again write to the Revenue Department requesting surveyors.
Sources in the office of Land Records said that over the past two years, the Revenue Department had been deputing surveyors, measuring land and identifying encroachments for the BBMP. There were 52 surveyors for the Bengaluru (Urban) district. “We have already given the BBMP a detailed list of encroachments on raja kaluves (big stormwater drains), drains and lakes. It is now up to the BBMP to clear them,” said an official.
Asked about the 90 cases identified as ‘high priority’, sources said that the department deputes surveyors immediately whenever the BBMP has indicated that the case is of prime importance. “The department also deputes surveyors for other departments, including forest and BMRCL. However, whenever the BBMP seeks surveyors, we depute them immediately.”
Classification of drains in RMP 2031
Possibly for the first time, the storm water drain (SWD) network has been classified in the Revised Master Plan 2031. The drains were not clearly classified in the earlier city development plans.
BBMP sources said that in the earlier development plans, there have been instances where primary drains were marked as secondary or tertiary. “This had led to lot of issues on the ground,” an official claimed.
This time around, the drain network has been classified, as it was a necessary requirement to delineate the buffer zone. As per the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, the buffer zone around lakes should be 75 metres, 50 metres from primary drains, 35 metres from secondary drains and 25 metres from tertiary drains.
V. Ravichandar, urban expert, maintained that while this is an improvement over the previous master plans, there must be a scientific basis to ascertain the buffer zone width. “Now, a standard size has been recommended, but the buffer zone should ideally be based on area vulnerability and functional requirements,” he said.
He also said that much of the buffer zone, nearly 80 sqkm, mentioned in the RMP 2031 has been built up, since construction was allowed under earlier plans. “What are the government’s plans for the built-up areas marked as buffer zones in the RMP 2031? Will they acquire the land and compensate the owners, which will be exorbitant.”
