The BBMP office.
Credit: DH Photo
Bengaluru: The BBMP will no longer take up demolition drives to clear encroachments from stormwater drains unless there are fresh bottlenecks.
According to the civic body, it has cleared all encroachments and will not go by the data shared by the Revenue Department as "alternative drains" have been built.
Speaking to reporters, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said he had asked all zonal commissioners to submit an affidavit related to encroachments on stormwater drains in their respective jurisdiction.
"The Revenue Department had shared a list of encroachments pertaining to rajakaluves (stormwater drains). When we went to the spot, our engineers found that either there is an alternative drain or there is no trace of rajakaluves on the spot where encroachment is earmarked for. Hence, we have requested the Revenue Department to clear these encroachments by filing the case in the land grabbing prevention court as the land does not belong to us," he said.
As the deputy commissioner of Bengaluru Urban has the authority to alter the alignment of stormwater drains, there has been a lot of modifications in the original alignment of primary, secondary and tertiary drains which are inter-connected with the waterbodies. Owing to these changes, Bengaluru commonly sees flooding year after year.