Big encroachers face eviction

Big encroachers face eviction

BBMP's task force to tackle rain fury has identified over 1,000 enroachments along the city's four storm water drains and they will be demolished with the help of the police to clear the passage for water, Odeal D'Souza reports

Odeal D'Souza



THE task force set up to handle the monsoon fury in Bangalore has got cracking at the encroachments along the four major storm water drains. It has identified over 1,000 encroachments along the drains. They would be cleared with the help of police.
"The demolitions alongside the valley paths and drains have begun and encroachments will be cleared while the private lands will all be acquired," BBMP commissioner Bharat Lal Meena said.
"More than 1,000 encroachments have been identified this time in comparison with last year's 800. We've brought down all smaller encroachments. The work for these demolitions is taking place simultaneously in Koramangala, Hebbal and Vrishabhavathi valleys.
"In many places, the valley portion has become narrow. Hence the bottlenecks have been cleared to make it wider by putting the side walks. This will help the water to flow. In the process of removing encroachments, we've come across private lands. They will be acquired," he said.
It is three weeks since the work began, only smaller encroachments are dealt with. The BBMP will hold talks with the police for their assistance in the removal of the bigger encroachments. They are planning to reduce the height and depth of manholes, lock them and have a plan of sewage lines running parallel to storm water drains.
Our forefathers constructed the lakes on the balancing principle. The overflow of one lake flows into the one downstream. This is repeated till all the excess water is drained off to the Koramangala Valley, the Challaghatta Valley, the Hebbal Valley and the Vrushbhavarathy Valley.
These four natural drainage valleys are today the victims of rampant encroachment and siltation apart from being the receptacles of all manner of city waste and garbage.
However, the BBMP has made a task force mission to clear the storm water drains of all the encroachments so that water can flow smoothly