Fearing demolition, Spice Garden Layout residents go to court

At Spice Garden Layout in Munnekolala, near Marathahalli, residents are a worried lot.

On Monday, BBMP officials demolished portions of compound walls, gates, or steps in front of the houses here, prompting residents to move the court against the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

On Tuesday, Suresh (name changed) was still digesting the BBMP’s razing of a part of the front gate and compound wall of his house.

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He had shifted here just eight months ago from HAL Layout where he lived for several years.

Like many here, portions of his multi-storey building have been rented. “The BBMP says a rajakaluve runs right through my house. If they proceed (with the clearance), I will lose my house,” he said.

Owners of over 200, mostly residential properties here, share the same fear. The layout association, including residents who were not affected this time, are approaching lawyers.

Formed in the 1990s, the layout, located close to the Munnekolala Lake, has been affected by the issue.

Old vs new maps

The revenue department’s old village map shows a rajakaluve running right through the layout. The agricultural land has been turned into a residential layout, while residents funded common infrastructure like roads and drains, said a resident who has not been directly affected by the issue.

“If the drain did run through the area, why did BBMP officials approve the conversion without any caveat then? We are suffering now, while they aren’t held accountable,” he said.

He also questions why the drain has to be rebuilt in the exact same manner as in the British-era maps instead of channeling it in a way that would avoid buildings. “We are checking if we can get the drain recreated with the help of a private consultant,” Suresh said.

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The BBMP tried reclaiming the rajakaluve here even earlier, but residents procured a court order in 2018 to stop the civic body from acting. They are also upset that they did not receive notice on the demolition beforehand.

Dr Trilok Chandra, Special Commissioner for Mahadevapura, BBMP, said notices are not required as per the Karnataka Land Revenue Act. “The act says rajakaluves are public property and therefore, notices need not be issued,” he said.

As for razing the buildings later, Chandra said: “We will have to see. Surveyors ahd marked the area earlier. We will take further action depending on that.”

Suresh said the markings on his property are inaccurate. While a marking was made on one side of the property last year, officials made a marking in an entirely different place much later.

With further demolitions planned in the next few days in Mahadevapura Zone, the BBMP is likely to face the ire of many more citizens.