To regain peace and quiet, Jayanagar residents force showroom to follow rules

With the civic body unable to prevent commercial activities in residential areas, a residents’ welfare association in Jayanagar swung into action and ensured that five commercial establishments in the neighbourhood followed zoning regulations.

Encouraged by the result, First-block Organisation of Residents for Clean Environment (FORCE), is now going after at least 50 such commercial buildings which have violated zonal regulations laid down in the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act-1977.

Following unrelenting pressure from FORCE, the BBMP directed Fab India showroom to use the ground floor for parking vehicles and shift the showroom to the first floor.

In the Fab India case, members of FORCE had petitioned the BBMP citing a high court order. The order, passed on February 19, 2014, said no commercial buildings should come up in residential areas where the width of the road is 40 feet or less. The office-bearers of FORCE were instrumental in approaching the high court against the rapid commercialisation of residential areas as it affected the residents due to haphazard parking on the narrow lanes. Vice president of FORCE, G R Balaji said his association had written to the BBMP commissioner in February 2016 to act against these commercial establishments in Jayanagar I Block based on the high court order.

“The commissioner sought our help and asked us to give a list of such commercial buildings, which we provided with a letter, seeking their removal from the residential area. Now, the BBMP is serving notices to them,” said Balaji.

The BBMP health officer began hearing the case from February this year and on May 5, he passed the order pointing to the violations found in the building. The entire building was used for commercial purposes with no space for parking. As a result, vehicles were parked on the road causing inconvenience to residents.

In his order, the BBMP health officer directed the building owner to use only 20% of the building for commercial activities while the stilts must be used for parking. He gave two months to the owner to abide by the order.

When contacted, K Varadaraja, owner of the building which houses Fab India, said the building was built in 2012, two years before the order was passed and the BBMP had given permission to construct the building.

He pointed out that he was not the only one who has built a commercial building in Jayanagar. “There are more than 500 such buildings in Jayanagar I Block, about 1,500 in II  Block and approximately 6.5 lakh such buildings across Bengaluru. Some people who were jealous of us have complained to the Palike. We will tackle this matter legally,” said Varadaraja.