You can't go wrong again! On your mark' BBMP

Two weeks of rampant demolition have landed BBMP huge mountains of rubble all across the city even as allegations and counter-allegations are hurled over the accuracy of maps depicting the storm water drain network. The civic agency is now relying on survey officers to mark buildings which have actually encroached on drains.  Urban experts suggest a way out: Link  government properties with the sub registrar’s office and this will stop encroachment to a large extent as registrations involving properties on drains can be stopped. And now the big question: Will the rubble be cleared in time before the next monsoon lands here to create a flood-like situation?

Responding to the unpredecented flooding of parts of the city some weeks ago,  the BBMP began a fierce demolition drive in four zones of the city, but in the process has received more brickbats than bouquets. 

With protests greeting its bulldozers and charges of haphazard markings being hurled at it, the agency has been forced to go slow and is now relying on the  survey officers to mark buildings encroaching on storm water drains, before going in for the kill.

Although it claims to have been going by the “accurate” village maps of between 1906 and 1908, there have been multiple markings on buildings, causing much confusion among people.

“The  BBMP first came here about five months ago and warned that eight houses would be razed if the people themselves did not do the necessary surgery.  To begin with  only five feet of our house was marked for demolition and we made sure to remove this portion.  But recently the BBMP  marked half the house and demolished rooms and toilets,” rued Jayamma of Panchasheelanagar in Rajarajeshwarinagar, adding, “We spent our savings of Rs 60,000 on removing the portion first marked for demolition and now we cannot even afford a house on rent. Neither the BEML Society which sold us the site or the BBMP, which bulldozed our house, is willing to help us.”

Urban expert, Ashwin Mahesh says the village maps, done in isolation, do not link  drains of different villages and are creating confusion among the surveyors. Suggesting that properties across the state be linked with the drain network, lakes and buffer zones, he says this sort of a map should be made  available to the registration department to stop the buyers from registering encroaching houses or complexes.

“The data should have longitude and latitude details of drains and lakes and the software designed in such a way that it alerts  the registration department to encroachments,” he said.

Joint Director of Land Records and Survey Settlement,  Rudresh,when contacted,  admitted that  the village maps the BBMP was using were prepared  by the British and and had not been updated. While acknowledging that some “minor mistakes” may have been made  due to the rampant development of the areas targeted for demolition, he, however denied that officials had been bribed to  favour some property owners and were only targeting the less influential.

‘Survey report will be ready in 3 days’
The BBMP will be armed with a survey report on the buildings belonging to actor Darshan, former minister Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Orion Mall and other major structures in the next three days, said BBMP commissioner Manjunath Prasad.

After a review meeting with joint commissioners of all zones about the demolition drive and the allegations that they are facing from the public, he said that after validating the reports of all the encroached buildings, irrespective of how influential they are, they will be bulldozed.

Earlier, the survey department had given the report of 109 locations and the drive has been taken up as per their report and recommendation, he said. During the meeting, the BBMP joint commissioners said that they were not getting proper feedback from the revenue officials.

Mr Prasad called up the joint director of survey department and asked them to get the transferred surveyors to validate the survey reports and to rule out the allegations against the BBMP. The Palike officials are facing charges that buildings of major builders and influential people have been spared, the officials said.

Won’t spare rich, says mayor again!
Asserting that no encroaching building, however influential the owner, would be spared, Mayor B. N. Manjunath Reddy, on Monday said actor Darshan’s brother,  Dinakar Thoogudeepa had asked for a few days to demolish the offending portion of his house.

“If he fails to remove the encroaching portion, we will go in  with our bulldozers,” he told reporters after announcing the kabbaddi and cricket matches for the Mayor’s cup on Monday. The Mayor revealed that the BBMP had found Ideal Homes in Halagevaderahalli,  Rajarajeshwarinagar  encroaching on a drain in survey number 53.

“The Ideal Homes Layout itself  has been formed in violation of the law and so we will initiate criminal proceedings against the developer,” he added. Dr. B. Veerabhandrappa, joint commissioner of (RR Nagar zone) said  another 10 houses in the area seemed to have partially encroached on a storm water drain. 

“Going by the maps dating back to 1902, there was a stream,  Handigidada Halla, flowing through the area and the land was later turned into a layout with BDA approval. After superimposing different layers of maps and other development over the years, we have zeroed in on the encroachments,” he said.

Need to clear debris to avoid floods
The  BBMP's zeal in bulldozing buildings encroaching on Storm Water Drain (SWDs) is not reflected in the clearing of the debris, which ironically could lead to the very situation it is afraid of: waterlogging in a downpour. While in some zones the BBMP  plans to send the debris to nearby Construction and Debris (C&D) sites, in others it seems to have little idea what  to do with it as yet.

Joint Commissioner (RR Nagar Zone), Dr B. Veerabhadrappa, admits the debris of the demolished buildings is not being disposed of at any particular place as of now. “It is being collected at different locations near the demolition sites where it doesn't cause  any inconvenience to anyone.  People are being allowed to take away the granite, marble, bricks,  doors and window frames,” he explained

Asked if the BBMP had any plans to shift the debris, he said he hadn't received any instructions as yet. “We, however, expect to clear the debris in another 10 days,” he claimed.

Chief Engineer of the Mahadevapura BBMP zone, Parameshwaraiah seemed to know a little more about the disposal. He said arrangements were being made to take the debris from the bulldozed buildings in his area to the Kannur quarry pits, where it would be segregated and disposed off.

“As the demolition is still going on, it will take a while for the whole operation to be completed,” he contended. As for the debris in the Dasarahalli zone, it will be sent to Mallasandra C and D Waste Processing Plant, where it will be segregated using both manual and mechanised segregators and recycled, according to storm water drain Chief Engineer,  Siddegowda.