Family on Sankey Tank bed cries foul

Family on Sankey Tank bed cries foul
The Times of India

Bangalore: A family that owns a house right beside Sankey Tank claims that the recent flooding of their home is part of a plan to deliberately target them. However, officials say this is a simple case of encroachment of the tank’s water spread area and the tank bed.

The family is that of M A Sreenivasan, whose son M A Parthasarathy was a commissioner of Bangalore Urban Art Commission. The family says Sreenivasan had purchased 10 acres and 28 guntas of land in 1953 and 1954 from the previous owner, the then Mysore maharaja.
Government officials say the purchase is illegal as it pertains to land that comes under the tank waterspread area.

Today, under BCC’s tank restoration programme, the waste weir of Sankey Tank has been raised. During heavy rain, lake waters flood Sreenivasan’s property.

“The problem started in December 2004 when BCC demolished the fence. Now anyone who comes to the lake can walk into our home,’’ Parthasarathy’s son, also called M A Sreenivasan, said.

The family went to court last year. On June 16, 2005, the court directed the BCC not to enter the Sreenivasan property.

The court also directed the parties to work out their own remedy “if there is any dispute with regard to, the extent or otherwise’’, of the property.

As the restoration of Sankey Tank has the interest of Lok Ayukta Justice N. Venkatachala, the family of the late Sreenivasan also approached the latter for help. But according to sources, the matter is still being heard by the Lok Ayukta. He is expected to take a decision within a week.

At present, the property is under some 4 foot of water, family members said.