Crack down on illegal layouts in green belts, says George

Bengaluru Development Minister K J George on Thursday directed the revenue officials to take stringent action against those forming illegal residential layouts in green-belt areas.

The revenue officials cannot turn a blind eye to illegal layouts cropping up in green-belt areas around Bengaluru. 

Developers are not only violating the law by forming layouts in green belts, but are also cheating gullible people by selling sites in those places, the minister said while chairing a review meeting of the Bengaluru Urban Zilla Panchayat (ZP). Earlier, Yelahanka MLA, S R Vishwanath, and nominated member of Bengaluru Urban ZP, Ramesh, complained that the officials were not taking any action against illegal layouts. 

Several such layouts were coming up along the expressway leading to Kempegowda International Airport, at Bettadalsur and Jalahalli, Vishwanath added.Sports in quarry pits

George directed the officials to draw up a plan to make use of quarry pits around Bengaluru city for conducting water sports. Abandoned quarry pits pose a threat to people in the surrounding areas. 

Construction of retaining wall around quarry pits will not solve the problem. So, it would be better if they are used for conducting water sports. For instance, a quarry pit at Bettadalsur has about 200 feet of water, he added.

The Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department has drawn up a Rs 62-crore plan to supply drinking water to various villages facing water scarcity. Currently, the department is supplying drinking water through tankers to 26 villages in Bengaluru Urban district, the department officials said.