As Koramangala survey crawls, BMP officers cross fingers

As Koramangala survey crawls, BMP officers cross fingers
Deccan Herald

What were the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) officials doing when buildings came up in violation of sanctioned plan and zone, a cross section of the public wondered aloud when the High Court ordered a crackdown on the violating structures in Koramangala.

While not hazarding an answer to the query, it is understood that the going is not easy for the engineers who are engaged in the comprehensive survey of the violations, as ordered by the court.

“At the most, a team comprising an Assistant Engineer and two supporting staff can only survey a maximum of six buildings a day. That is again dependent on whether the owners cooperate or not,” said an officer in BMP.

In the three months since the court ordered the survey, the BMP has surveyed about 250 buildings of the total 6,000 buildings earmarked.

The regular engineering staff in the Koramangala sub-division consists of one AEEs and three AEs. For the purpose of survey, 20 Assistant Engineers were brought on deputation from other divisions.

“Four teams of five members each are on work daily and a maximum of five buildings is assessed by each team everyday,” said division-level sources.

No deadline has been fixed for the completion of survey, but sources noted, “If done on a war-footing - without any holidays - the Koramangala survey will take at least one year.”

When contacted, officials closely connected with the survey said that the minimum time they would require is three months.

Major tasks in the survey of each building include measuring the plinth area and open spaces (courtyards and setback area).