BBMP clears encroachments

BBMP clears encroachments

Staff Reporter
64 small houses and shops brought down

BDA recovers property worth

Rs. 70 crore

— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

To check flooding: BBMP personnel demolishing structures that had come up on the Rajakaluve in Kadugondanahalli in Bangalore on Monday.
BANGALORE: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) carried out a large demolition at Kadugondanahalli in its agenda to free the Rajakaluve of encroachments, and brought down 64 small houses and shops in the process, here on Monday. The encroachments were on Survey number 124, 125, 126, 129, 132, 137 and 141 of Kadgondanahalli.

While the residents of these shanties may not have encroached the stormwater drain on their own accord, the BBMP said that it had to carry out the demolition to make sure that water flowed freely through the Rajakaluve without causing inconvenience to several other residents.

According to a BBMP official, before the demolition, these small houses had taken up close to 30 feet. “After the demolition, we were able to salvage the Rajakaluve of 24 feet on either side of the drain,” he said, adding that this would broaden the drain and prevent rainwater from overflowing into people’s homes.

The BBMP also demolished seven structures that had come up at different points along the Bellandur Lake. Fencing around stretches of the lake has now been taken up by the BBMP.

Meanwhile, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) recovered property worth Rs. 70 crore at Nagarabahavi Layout in an operation that began early on Monday. According to officials of the BDA, it had acquired and notified land in Survey number 78 of Nagarabhavi and handed over the land to the Engineering wing. However, the land had been encroached up to eight acres and 18 guntas by building structures. Nine RCC houses, 81 temporary sheds, which had come up illegally, were pulled down.