Encroachments must go: Jairaj

Encroachments must go: Jairaj
No More Flooding Woes On Congested Mysore Road
The Times of India

Bangalore: Encroachments, which have been the bane of civic agencies, will now see stringent action if the BMP goes ahead with its plans.

On Saturday, after a reality check of the drains and valleys on Mysore Road and Nayandahalli, commissioner K Jairaj declared, “We will move court, we need to vacate stay orders on demolitions. If floods have to become a thing of the past, if these areas have to be flood-free, the BMP will need to go ahead with the demolitions on encroachments.’’

The issue in question was rampant encroachments atop valley beds and rajakaluves which block free flow of water leading to floods. The BMP had identified major encroachments and even landed up for demolitions one day in February. However, overnight the land owners had obtained stay orders from the court, pre-empting any corrective action.

Sitting on the valley bed that has been encroached by a timber yard, Jairaj and the team of BMP officials pointed out that Mysore Road and Nayandahalli area was perennially flood-prone. At a particular place on Mysore Road, just after The Club, the natural course of the Vrishabavathi valley had clearly been diverted and blocked abruptly. The resultant bottle-neck was leading to floods in the area.

Involving the BWSSB is also high on the priority list. A treatment plan to clean up the sewage that flows from Nayandahalli towards Bangalore University is on the anvil and is expected to start in a week’s time. In fact BWSSB chairman Muniyappa has suggested that the water in the three flood-prone tanks — Madivala, Puttenahalli, Begur — should be pumped out so that the next season will not see much of an overflow.

At the junction of Ring-Road Mysore Road, sewage flows like a mighty river, something the BMP engineers put down to a forced embankment or, an artificial obstruction. A patch of land belonging neither to the BMP or BDA is being used by private parties to park buses, on an area that is like a hillock. An obstruction has been put up in such a way that, whenever it rains, all of Mysore Road, Rajarajeshwarinagar is affected. Jairaj promised corrective action will be taken so that flooding on Mysore Road comes to an end. Campaign: A massive publicity campaign is on the anvil. Jairaj said despite problems faced by civic authorities, there’s as no help forthcoming from citizens themselves. “People use these drains as dump-yards. We will start a campaign with celebrity endorsements, take suggestions on having a clean drain.’’

Motivation talk

“I am under pressure to perform and I will translate that pressure onto you.’’ This was the mood and tenor of Jairaj as he delivered a motivation talk to a large gathering of BMP engineers and revenue officials on Saturday.
Three priorities were stressed repeatedly — drain revamping, good roads and footpath restoration. “Don’t just give excuses saying this is BWSSB’s job, there is staff shortage, etc. You have to deliver, there is no reason why you can’t, if you can’t, please leave,’’ he stressed.

This being the Suvarna Karnataka year, Bangalore should be given much-needed facelift in terms of overhauling the civic infrastructure.

ON PRIORITY
Moving the court to vacate stay orders on demolitions BWSSB’s treatment plan of sewage water from Nayandahalli tank to Bangalore University Media campaign on involving citizens’ participation in not using drains as dump-yards