BENGALURU:The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s bulldozers will roar again to raze down encroachments on storm-water drains (SWDs). Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister Dr G Parameshwara, in a meeting with MLAs, MLCs, MPs and officials of various civic bodies of Bengaluru, has ordered BBMP to restart the clearance drive, albeit, after the rains. Speaking to presspersons after the meeting, which saw participation from MPs P C Mohan and D K Suresh, ministers Krishna Byre Gowda and Jayamala, Mayor Sampath Raj and newly elected MLAs, Parameshwara said steps were being taken to address the issue of flooding in the city. The BBMP had begun demolishing unauthorised constructions over SWDs on August 7, 2016, following deaths due to flooding.
“We will take action based on past experience. I have directed officials to resume encroachment clearance drive on SWDs,” Parameshwara said, adding that the officials will begin the drive after the rains. The Bengaluru Development Minister also spoke about the recovery of 5,000 acres of BDA land encroached across the city.“The land is worth `25,000 crore and many are in litigation. We will vacate the cases and either regularise the land to ensure the government gets taxes from it or clear the encroachment and recover the land,” he said.
In the first of its kind meeting with officials and elected representatives together issues of flooding, garbage management, drinking water supply, traffic management and infrastructure were discussed.
Acknowledging that the city was facing trouble disposing of its 4,500-tonne garbage, Parameshwara said non-payment of dues to vendors and contractors was one of the reasons for the issue. “We will implement waste-to-energy model in every waste management unit without causing inconvenience to citizens in the neighbourhood. We will implement this in two units on a pilot basis,” Parameshwara said. The government, he said, has decided to carry out white topping on 800 roads across the city and issue funds promptly to repair potholes.
Speaking about the restructuring of the BBMP, Parameshwara said that while the B S Patil report in the abstract suggested administrative restructuring, he was yet to study the report. “We will evaluate the pros and cons of the report. Bengaluru will not be cut like a cake,” he said. The statement comes even as the previous Congress government led by Siddaramaiah had given its consent to restructuring BBMP.