BENGALURU: The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has disconnected its services to around 100 illegal and unauthorised buildings in the Whitefield ward. This is in accordance with the Supreme Court direction against such buildings and Lokayukta notices to civic agencies like BWSSB and BESCOM to take necessary action against unauthorised structures.
As a result, raw sewage from these buildings is now flooding BBMP’s side drains and main roads. BWSSB officials said that BBMP officials now have to take action and raze such illegal buildings or face criminal contempt charges.
“We are going by the rules. There is a Supreme Court direction to take action against illegal buildings. The Lokayukta also is watching the developments, and not taking action will lead to dereliction of duty and also criminal contempt of court. Once we have confirmation about the illegal status of a building, we send notices and disconnect services,” said a BWSSB official.
BWSSB Executive Engineer Mirza Anwar said the onus of taking action, like demolishing unauthorised buildings, is on BBMP engineers.
Residents said that ECC Road, Borewell Road and other streets in Whitefield have been flooded with sewage over the last few days. “The city administration has not been able to provide basic facilities. The situation is created because of BBMP officials, who allowed such illegal buildings to come up,” they lamented.
“Had the BBMP zonal commissioner or joint commissioner and ward engineers stopped these unauthorised constructions at least three years ago, the area would not have been flooded with raw sewage now,” said a resident.