An excavator demolishes the compound wall built on a drain at Doddakannelli. (Photo | Express)
An excavator demolishes the compound wall built on a drain at Doddakannelli. (Photo | Express)

Demolition drive avoids high-end villas

There is a perceptible change in the Karnataka government’s stand on the demolition of encroachments on lakebeds, culverts and wetlands in Bengaluru.

There is a perceptible change in the Karnataka government’s stand on the demolition of encroachments on lakebeds, culverts and wetlands in Bengaluru. After the embarrassment of floods along the IT corridor a fortnight ago, the government had stridently declared that all offending properties would be demolished, but quite suddenly, is singing a different tune. It is now looking to conduct a ‘resurvey’ of the affected region before it razes any encroachments.

Not surprisingly, since the area is home to the who’s who of the corporate and startup world. The compulsions are clear: With civic and assembly elections coming up, the government cannot afford to ruffle important feathers; it also needs to shield the builder-politician nexus which is primarily responsible for the wetlands turning into a concrete jungle, and the role played by civic agencies in this ecological disaster.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), which put up a show of setting right (its own) planning errors, rolled in bulldozers and drew up a hitlist of big builders who had erred, and even demolished parts of a few properties. But not for long. The demolition drive became entangled in political mudslinging, and a blame game between the government and opposition.

Meanwhile, some big builders approached the high court for a stay, giving the government a legitimate reason to stop all action. In the melee, the Palike demolition squad turned its bulldozers towards properties of ordinary citizens, conveniently avoiding high-end villas and apartments. Revenue Minister R Ashoka has listed 630 encroachments across the city to be removed, and promised there will be no discrimination between the poor, middle class, and rich, but his statement needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. There is also no word on how culpable officers and engineers will be made accountable.

By diluting its stand, the government is only doing Bengaluru a great disservice. Instead of resolving to find solutions before the next monsoon, taking the city’s historical map as a guide to remove encroachments and drawing up a comprehensive plan for the future, it is looking to cover up previous wrongs. The Council, too, has mooted finding scientific solutions instead of large-scale razing of expensive homes. While the middle path appears desirable to all stakeholders, it is not the time for ad hoc solutions. The authorities should undo the damage and hold up Bengaluru as a model for other cities with similar issues.

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