The demolition drive by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), clearing encroachments on storm-water drains, has trigged panic calls from across the city, with the civic agency getting complaints from citizens reporting alleged encroachments as well as calls asking for assurances that their property will not be demolished.
“We have been receiving multiple enquiries as well as requests by citizens to come and check whether their house is on a drain. We have also been receiving many complaints that certain buildings have encroached,” said Rajarajeshwarinagar Zone Joint Commissioner Veerabadrappa, in whose zone the demolition drive had taken place this past week. A new survey by the Joint Director of Surveys between Madiwala Lake and Akshayanagara had also triggered rumours that the properties violating the new NGT buffer zone guidelines would be earmarked for demolition.
“The survey was being carried out to mark the encroachments which we would have to go and demolish in the coming days. A lot of people have been asking whether the survey is based on the new NGT guidelines. However, I have been telling them I cannot really assure them of anything until the survey is completed,” said Bommanahallli Joint Commissioner Muniraju.
BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad, however, said that there was nothing to be worried about since their current encroachment drive had nothing to do with the NGT order and the buffer zone and instead, was focused on removing those buildings that were on the primary drains or had closed down the drain completely.
“The recent flooding was caused because the primary drains were blocked or completely closed down. And, these encroachments on SWDs were already identified by the BBMP before the drive began,” he said, adding that the new surveys were to cross-check and mark properties that had choked or blocked these drains.
Santosh, a commercial property owner in Doddabommasandra, says that although demolition trucks mostly finished their work, there are many who are still worried. “There are places marked with red sketch pens which have not been demolished yet, and the survey officials who came did not seem to be carrying any scientific or modern survey implements,” he said.
