The Karnataka government on Tuesday continued its anti-encroachment drive in Bengaluru at 18 places including Mahadevapura Zone. The government has been facing a huge backlash from opposition parties and locals over waterlogging in the IT city and not taking swift action on stormwater drain encroachments.
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials reached Shantiniketan Layout in Mahadevapura Zone around 10 am on Tuesday along with the several policemen. Officials identified around seven illegal buildings in the layout and started razing them as per the survey markings.
The Shantiniketan Layout is flood prone during the heavy rainfall. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, too, visited the area earlier last week and said stringent action will be taken against the encroachments around the layout, which often cause flooding.
“This layout keeps flooding every year badly and affects our lives too. Finally, the government is taking up the encroachment drive. It is, of course, painful for those who are bearing the loss due to demolition but it is also a lesson for many owners to not to build the structures this way on stormwater drain,” said Prabhakar, a resident of Shantiniketan Layout.
While some residents say they support government’s efforts of starting the demolition drive, others allege that the authorities are only acting against the common man and not going after the mighty and well-connected people who have encroached upon the stormwater drains.
“The government taking action against common man’s property will not work alone. They should also take same steps against big people who have built illegal structures in the city. The action must be equal against all,” said Harish, another resident of Shantiniketan Layout.
When the civic body officials reached National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) in Yelahanka, an altercation broke out between the institute’s administration and BBMP authorities as the NCBS stopped the BBMP officials from entering the premises for encroachment removal work. But the BBMP officials, who had the government permit, went ahead with the demolition from outside the campus.
Meanwhile, there was a high-voltage drama at Challagatta in Mahadevapura assembly when the BBMP authorities reached Nalapad Academy, a school owned by Congress MLA NA Haris. The civic body workers, who were on their way to bring down the 2.5 metre of illegal compound, were stopped by the school authorities and questioned why they were not issued a prior notice. The BBMP officials then wrote a letter to the police asking for an additional protection as the school academy administration was creating a hindrance during the drive.
Congress MLA Haris also demanded an explanation from the BBMP officials for initiating the demolition at his academy. “No prior notice was given to us much before the demolition drive. I have a school there for 25 years. I have not seen a drain before. Suddenly, they are saying there was a drain,” said Haris.
He stressed he has all the documents, which say there was no drain in his academy compound. “There was no flooding in this locality. It was in different place.”
So far, compound walls and other minor structures in Bengaluru have been razed in the drive so far. The state government will be under scrutiny until it actually demolishes houses and other major structures on the encroachment list, which includes Wipro, Eco Space and Bagamane tech park.
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