Bengaluru: After 8 months of plaints and NGT case, officials wake up to SWD encroachment in KR Puram

The systemic failure in preventing encroachments of storm water drains has come to the fore again after activists struggled for eight months and even went to NGT to draw attention to one such violation in Bengaluru East taluk.

Citing a petition by activist Paramesh V in the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner cancelled an order for conversion of 4 gunta of agriculture land into residential land that his office had issued on February 3, 2023 and ordered an inquiry by the tahsildar.

Interestingly, seven months before the conversion order, Paramesh had sent a legal notice dated July 25, 2022 warning the revenue and the BBMP authorities as well as the officials at the pollution control board (KSPCB) about the encroachment of the storm water drain.

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The activist moved the NGT stating that officials have allowed illegal construction on a drain despite early warning through a legal notice. He alleged construction plans were approved based on "false and fabricated documents" to hide the existence of the drain and the BBMP officials "intentially" failed to verify the documents.

The Tahsildar's report on March 8 said the taluk surveyor's report shows that the 4 gunta of kharab land was earmarked "for the purpose of Kaluve". He ordered the builder to remove the encroachment failing which the BBMP officials have to clear the constructed area to restore the drain.

The flooding of east Bengaluru in August 2022, which had caused an estimated Rs 350 crore loss, is blamed on the encroachment of drains connecting the lakes. Following public outrage. the government had promised to act and remove the encroachment.

Paramesh said the long-standing collusion between land mafia and officials was the main reason for flooding of the residential areas. "Despite loss of lives and property, nobody wants to wake up. In fact, officials from the KSPCB tried to shut us up. They even filed an affidavit before the NGT claiming that there was no encroachment and I should be penalised. After the Tahsildar's order, they withdrew the affidavit. This is the state of affairs," he said.