Clear our drains, spare us the floods!

Chief minister after chief minister has looked the other way over the years as Storm Water Drains (SWD) across the city were steadily encroached, built on and sold to the consumer, who had little or no idea he was investing his life’s savings on a house built on sand - or in this case, a drain.  DC has learnt that 97% of the SWD in Bengaluru is encroached on. If we don't want to go the way of cities that flood every time the monsoon comes around, its time, that the encroachers with influential backing are told that short term gain cannot lead to long term pain.

Come monsoon and Bengaluru nearly always sees waterlogged roads and flooded neighbourhoods, especially in the lower gradients. But the city has never before experienced the kind of flooding it saw last week, with boats having to be called out to help marooned people on such a scale. For the first time eight lakes breached in the deluge, causing an unprecedented crisis and giving a clear warning to the government  that it needs to act now to remove the encroachments that were responsible for most of the havoc.

Thanks to several reports and surveys prepared by various agencies over the years, it is aware that illegal constructions have cut the chain-like linking of lakes through the primary drains and  stopped the rain water running off from the roads to  rivulets on the outskirts to keep the city free of flooding.

But despite being well informed on the reasons for the annual flooding, government agencies have done very little to remove the encroachments and if anything, have turned a blind eye to fresh illegal constructions. The time for such lethargy is past now, warn concerned civic activists, emphasising that  if the authorities do not act now, it may be too late. If a section of Bengaluru was flooded this monsoon, the next could see more localities go under water, leaving the city facing a Chennai-like situation, they caution.  

“We need to act now. It’s now or never,” several experts underlined, strongly recommending that the BBMP should evict encroachers without anymore delay in the interest of the city's well being. “The BBMP commissioner recently admitted that  97 per cent of the drains have been encroached on. This has of course happened over a period of time with the support, encouragement and connivance of officials and politicians. But the time has come to get rid of them,” said Mr R.K. Misra, a civic expert, adding  that the recent floods had given the authorities every reason to act without any more delay.

Read | Siddaramaiah orders demolition of illegal constructions on rajakaluves and tank bunds

“At last Saturday’s coordination meeting with the Chief Secretary, the BBMP commissioner was instructed to mercilessly clear all encroachments and he agreed to do so. If he does not do it now,  the BBMP will be solely responsible for what comes next. Should he act today  there will be no opposition either from the political class or anyone else,” Mr Misra noted.

While the BBMP commissioner claims to have already removed 800 of the 1900 odd encroachments on drains, the activist believes he should have publicised the eviction every time as a warning to others, who may want to illegally build on drains and lake beds.

“People should also report such encroachments. But they only complain  when their houses are flooded. In many places, its not the encroachment that causes waterlogging, but  the drains choked with silt. BBMP engineers are supposed to de-silt the drains and contractors are hired  to do the job, but still the drains are not cleared,” he regretted, pointing out  there was waterlogging recently at the Salem Railway Under Bridge (RUB) near Doddanekundi on Outer Ring Road and near the MM temple on K.R. Puram main road, although there are no encroachments here.

“It happened because the  drains in these areas have not been cleared over the last five to 10 years. Even if the drains are cleaned, the silt is left on their sides and finds its way back into them in the next spell of rain, “ he noted with disgust, suggesting that if the BBMP cannot maintain the city's roads or drains like it should, then the job should be given to a specialised agency that can handle it better.

Reports on encroachment

A.T. Ramaswamy Committee report
The series of lakes in the city are meant to capture rainwater efficiently from the catchment area, but the raja kaluves and other drains that are supposed to carry it to them are encroached on, blocked or narrowed in many places. Consequently many lakes are drying up for want of water and their dry lake beds are  encroached on.  On the other hand, some  areas are being flooded even in 40 mm rain as the raja kaluves and drains are blocked/encroached/narrowed down, causing avoidable misery and hardship to people.

K.B. Koliwad during lake inspection.

Koliwad Committee Report
The House Committee on tank encroachment and rejuvenation headed by K.B. Koliwad listed many big names among encroachers of lake beds. They included Sobha Developers, the Brigade Group, the Prestige Group, Adarsh Developers, DS Max Group and the Bagmane Tech Park. Also mentioned among the encroachcers were government agencies like the Bengaluru Development Authority and the BBMP.

Task Force report headed by V. Balasubramanian
Most of the 840 kms of Raja Kaluves and storm water drains (SWDs)  have been encroached upon and used as sewage channels. A survey has already been done of these Raja Kaluves and SWDs. The encroachments must be removed and a UGD constructed by the BWSSB if the Raja Kaluves and SWDs are to be made free of sewage. Unless this upstream clearance is done there is no hope for the lakes. The power of removal of encroachments is vested with both the revenue department under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act and the BBMP under the Karnataka Corporations Act. Consultants hired by the BBMP have prepared a comprehensive project for construction of box drains and inlets and outlets for the tanks and water bodies,  which act as natural drains for flood water.

IISc study on disappearing lakes and storm water drain encroachments
The study  titled ‘Wetlands: Treasures of Bangalore (Abused, Polluted, Encroached and Vanishing) conducted by a team of researchers headed by Professor Ramachandra T V of the Energy and Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc,  surveyed 105 lakes in the city. It found only four  in  good condition and 25 covered with macrophytes or dumped with solid or liquid waste and with little or no water. The study also found that 98% of the lakes are encroached on by the building mafia, 90% receive sustained flow of untreated sewage and industrial effluents, and are dumped with solid waste and building debris.

The Directorate of Survey, Settlement and Land Records’ report on lakes and drains
As much as  10,472 acres are  encroached on in Bengaluru urban and rural districts. While 6,195 acres are encroached on in Bengaluru rural, 4,277 acres are encroached on in Bengaluru urban. Private parties are responsible for encroaching on 7,185 acres, and  government agencies for illegally building on 3,287 acres. While encroachment of 1,171 acres in Bengaluru North is highest in Bengaluru urban, encroachment of 3,113 acres in Hoskote is highest in Bengaluru rural.

Following the recent flooding of Kodichikkanahalli, Madiwala, Jaraganahalli, JP Nagar and other low lying areas, the BBMP has issued a public notice cautioning both buyers and builders to comply with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order on ensuring a buffer zone around lakes and drains. All planning authorities have been directed to comply with the buffer zone while sanctioning building plans. The notice pointed out that the NGT has stipulated a buffer zone of 75 meters around  lakes, 50 meters from primary drains, 35 meters from secondary drains and 25 meters from tertiary drains.

Experts suggestions on tackling encroachments – V. Ravichander, Civic Evangelist

• Post a GIS map of the storm water drain network on the Net.
• Indicate the known encroachments on the map
• Start by demolishing properties that belong to influential people to set the stage.

‘Take on influential encroachers first’
The Karnataka Lake Conservation Development Authority (KLCDA) could take the lead in taking on  encroachers, especially those with influential backing, if it is armed adequately,  believes Mr Sridhar Pabbisetty, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF). Not only does the government need to give it a makeover and more powers to carry out the evictions, but also make sure it gets the legal advice necessary to see them through all the accompanying hurdles, in his view.

“The authority should have a competent and able legal cell to fight the inevitable cases filed by encroachers against their eviction in the various courts. It should also be empowered to punish those who allowed the encroachments,” he suggested.

But it will require cooperation from  departments  like revenue and survey for the KLCDA to do a good job, he underlines. “Only if these departments pitch in will the authority be able to ensure that lakes are not encroached on,” he added.
Pointing out that the  lower courts often readily grant stays on evictions, he says its time for the judiciary too to take a more serious view of the encroachments and pass orders accordingly.

“Of course, everyone is entitled to approach the courts for relief. But when encroachers take recourse to such action, the cases  must be heard and settled at the earliest in the larger interest of the public,” he argued.