Malls, buildings on Bengaluru drains to be demolished: Minister

Malls, buildings on Bengaluru drains to be demolished: Minister

Bengaluru, Aug 31 (IANS) Malls and high-rise buildings, including apartments built illegally on storm water drains of the city would be demolished to prevent flooding after heavy rains, Karnataka Law Minister T.B. Jayachandra said on Wednesday.

“We are determined to demolish all buildings constructed illegally on encroached storm water drains and lake beds across the city to prevent flooding and blocking rain water flow,” Jayachandra told reporters after the state cabinet at a meeting here unanimously took the decision.

Though the minister did not specify how many buildings, including malls and apartments, would be razed, he mentioned that a high-rise apartment building of leading realtor Prestige Group at Bellandur in the south-east suburb was identified for demolition as it was illegally built on a storm water drain.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) a month ago launched a massive demolition drive after heavy rains in July flooded low-laying areas and arterial roads, as the storm water drains blocked water flow and two-three lakes breached due to encroachments around them.

“We have taken up the demolition drive in compliance with the 2011 Karnataka High Court’s order, which directed the civic corporation (BBMP) to clear buildings which encroached storm water drains to stop flooding,” reiterated Jayachandra.

The cabinet decision comes in the light of public criticism of the state government and the BBMP as buildings and houses of middle class and poor built on the drains were being demolished while those of the rich and real estate firms were spared.

“We will demolish all buildings illegally built on such drains, be they a massive apartment block, a mall or even an ordinary house,” asserted Jayachandra.

Claiming that the Prestige apartment building had come up on a main storm water drain at Bellandur, the minister said as a result the 150-foot wide drain was reduced to just 10 feet, with a part of the structure encroaching 140 feet of the drain.

“The builder (Prestige) wants us to divert the drain so that his building could be saved. But we are not going to heed to such requests. We will demolish it,” Jayachandra said.

Asked about Orion Mall, which the BBMP had identified as being on a storm water drain in the south-west suburb, the minister said the corporation would inspect the structure and demolish it if it is found to be illegal.

“We (government) will not differentiate between the rich and poor in the demolition drive, as clearing the storm water drains of encroachments was imperative to avoid a repeat of heavy flooding in Chennai last year after a deluge in the land-locked city,” noted Jayachandra.

Of 1,300 small and big buildings the BBMP had identified as those encroaching drains, about 100-150 have been demolished till date, mostly on the city’s outskirts.

“As the rich and big realtors know the law, they exploit loopholes or lacuna in it and secure a court order staying demolition. We are aware of that. None will be spared, as the city cannot be choked by illegal structures on storm water drains,” added the minister.