Pressure was building from all quarters

There was pressure from multiple corners on the district administration to act against encroachment of Chikka Kallasandra lake in survey number 76 of Chikka Kallasandra village at Padmanabha Nagar in Bangalore South Taluk.

Following a full-page report in Deccan Herald on August 17, the Citizens’ Action Forum (CAF), a consortium of about 150 Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA), lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta seeking his intervention to reclaim public land.

On the other hand, the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force (BMTF) too took up the matter suo motu on the basis of Deccan Herald report.

If this was not enough, civil society groups too started building pressure on the government to act against the land grabbers. During their agitation in September led by 96-year-old freedom fighter, H S Doreswamy, the agitators demanded the administration to take back the lake.

In addition, the Lake Development Authority and the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which is the custodian of the lake, were continuously demanding the Urban district authorities to evict encroachment from the tank bed. The BBMP Lake Division had written many letters to the Bangalore South Tahsildar to demarcate the boundary, evict encroachment and hand over the lake to it.

Finally, buckling to the pressure, the district authorities carried out the eviction drive.

Speaking to reporters, the Deputy Commissioner of Bangalore Urban district, V Shankar said the action was in line with the government’s stand to recover all the public land, which have been encroached upon. He added that in the next phase, notices would be served on those who have built concrete houses.