Experts suggest app, portals to homebuyers wary of encroachments

Web portals that could help people verify the property status before they purchase

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike's (BBMP) demolition drive has jolted property owners and prospective buyers alike.

Many owners who lost part of their property to the demolition drive said they were unaware of Storm Water Drain (SWD) encroachments when they bought them, while those planning to buy new properties are looking at means to ensure that the property is not sitting on a drain or lake.

Industry experts said that people should buy from trusted developers and verify crucial information to ensure a safe purchase.

"Buyers should purchase homes from Grade A developers who have a thorough understanding of land usage and possess appropriate sanctioned plans. Additionally, it’s important for customers to refer to publicly available sources such as village maps, CDP, and Dishaank, which provide key information to make a more informed decision,” said Pushpak Pusegaonkar, Chief Operating Officer, Century Real Estate.

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Though the BBMP does not provide a single window where the buyers can verify the status of the property, officials from the Survey Settlement and Land Records (SSLR) unit of the state revenue department suggested that the Dishaank app could be a probable starting point.

"The app will cull out information about the property with the help of the user’s location. Though there is an error of 20 to 30 feet and the findings of the app cannot be used as a legal document, it will give the buyers an indication of whether the property is sitting on a lake bed or drain,” said Munish Moudgil, commissioner of SSLR department.

He suggested that the app be used by those planning to buy a property. “Based on the findings, they can take future decisions,” he said.

The Real Estate Research Initiative (RERI) of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIMB) has also developed a web portal (http://www.rajakaluve.org/) that could help buyers examine if the property is encroaching upon an SWD.

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“During the flood-like situations in July 2016, the maps of natural water pathways and SWDs were put out in the public domain by the BBMP and the Department of Survey and Settlements (DSS). All this public data was available in silos. As a service to the community, IIMB-RERI collated all these maps onto a common platform and made them searchable,” said Prof Venkatesh Panchapagesan from RERI, IIMB.

The users can key in the details available in the sale deed to verify the status of the property. “Buyers can enter the survey number, village, hobli, and the taluk where the property is situated. Based on the inputs, the portal displays all survey numbers impacted as per the BBMP or DSS maps. The user may then verify if his/her property is on the said survey number,” explained N Karthik, who was part of the project at IIMB.