Two major malls may face demolition: mayor

'Structures have encroached on stormwater drains'

Two major malls in the city, which have come up on stormwater drains, may face the hammer, Mayor B N Manjunath Reddy said on Monday.

Reddy told DH that Orion Mall in Rajajinagar and Gopalan Arcade Mall in Rajarajeshwari Nagar have encroached on stormwater drains. “The survey has been completed and it has emerged that the two malls are sitting on stormwater drains,” he said.

Regarding Orion Mall, Reddy said, “The then BBMP commissioner Siddaiah had not given permission to build the mall, but the structure had still managed to come up, which is quite shocking.”

When contacted, Siddaiah said no malls were sanctioned during his tenure. “It is an old matter, which I cannot recall at this point. But I did not sanction any mall during my tenure as BBMP commissioner,” Siddaiah said.

Attempts to reach the authorities of Orion Mall went in vain, as the person who attended the calls refused to transfer them to the people concerned. General Manager of Gopalan Mall, Subba Rao said he was not aware of the mayor’s statement nor the status of the stormwater drain.

“But if other buildings are being razed, then we are no exception,” said Rao.
Reddy has directed senior Palike officials to act against the ward-level BBMP engineers following reports that construction work had resumed at the controversial Puravankara Skydale in front of Haraluru Lake on Hosur Road. 

A week ago, the mayor had visited the spot and claimed that the building had encroached on a stormwater drain and the buffer zone of the lake. On his direction, the BBMP had “seized” the property a week ago. The Palike had also torn down the temporary tin-sheet fencing.