HC raps BBMP over Vrishabhavathi encroachments

The High Court of Karnataka has ordered the BBMP to remove encroachments from the Vrishabhavathi Valley, a small river that’s now turned into a dirty drain, by September 30, 2022.

A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe passed the order after going through a survey report that indicated large-scale encroachments at Vrushabhavathi, lake, its tributary ‘nalas’ and the buffer zone.

The bench was hearing a PIL petition filed by Geetha Misra, a city-based advocate, who sought the court’s directions for the restoration and rejuvenation of Vrushabhavathi.

Compliance report

“We have been informed that the river (Vrishabhavathi) passes through various parts of Bengaluru city. Therefore, we direct the jurisdictional/concerned officers, assistant executive engineers of BBMP to undertake an action for removal of encroachments of Vrishabhavathi river on or before September 30 and a compliance report shall be filed on or before October 11,” the bench said.

The hearing has been adjourned until October 19. The survey report indicated about 17.5 acres of encroachments on the tributary ‘nalas’ and around 23 acres of encroachment on the river valley. As per the report, there is a huge encroachment of about 89 acres of land in the lake area of Vrushabhavathi’s contributing waterbodies.

Two-phase survey

The high court had directed the BBMP and the state government to take the assistance of the National Environmental Engineering and Research Institute (NEERI) in identifying the encroachments. The survey was conducted in two phases — firstly, in the Vrushabhavathi river basin and then in the connected lakes, grids and the buffer zone.

It was submitted in the report that there are encroachments not only in the river basin of the valley but also in the buffer zone.