BENGALURU: Despite notices by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and Fire and Emergency department to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to stop the construction of illegal apartments polluting Yele Mallappa Shetty Lake, it has not yielded any results. Illegal buildings standing six floors high are mushrooming in the area, on the basis of fake building plan approvals.
Illegal apartments are already releasing sewage into the lake through storm water drains at Sai Serenity Layout, Seegehalli, Basavanapura ward, in KR Puram. Builders and land owners allegedly created fake plan approvals to get bank loans. As per a BBMP notification dated July 27, 2023, under-construction buildings have to display the BBMP-approved plan at the construction site, but the rule is hardly followed.
Ward engineers who are supposed to check, have ignored their own notifications. The KSPCB and Fire departments had sent notices in 2022 and 2023 to BBMP seeking action taken reports, but BBMP has not taken any steps in this regard.
Mahadevapura zone Joint Commissioner Dr Dakshayini K, who is aware of developments in the layout, said, “Ward engineers are responsible for checking illegal buildings, issuing notices and carrying out demolition, as per rule. I will issue notice to executive engineer Vinay Kumar, seeking his explanation in this regard.”
She also said that apart from BBMP, it is also the responsibility of Karnataka Ground Water Authority and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) to jointly address the issue of illegal buildings mushrooming. Dakshayini had earlier alleged that the out-of-state builder mafia was behind the illegal constructions in Mahadevapura zone.
Vinay Kumar stated that he has issued notices under Sections 313 and 248 (1)/(2) of BBMP Act 2020 to 32 buildings in the layout, seeking documents. “Out of 32 buildings, ‘Provisional Order’ has been issued to 14 buildings. Later, a ‘Confirmation Order’ will be issued for violation. An estimation to carry out demolition of the illegal buildings and deviations will be sent to the JC’s office for hiring JCBs, staff and labour.”
No STPs, open defecation, plastic burning
The builders are making the construction labourers work without any basic facilities like toilets. In the absence of toilets, the workers are resorting to open defecation, which has resulted in a stink in Sai Serenity Layout. Further, despite the rule that apartment complexes with 20 flats and more, and buildings over 2,000 sqm built-up area have to set up their own STP, hardly any builders follow this.