Ashraya Nagar slum unfit for habitation

Bengaluru: Bengaluru Urban district has declared the Ashraya Nagar slum in RR Nagar assembly constituency, home to approximately 3,500 people, as unfit for human habitation. Deputy Commissioner KA Dayananda issued this declaration under Section 11 of the Karnataka Slum Development Act, unsettling the slum’s residents.

District administrators have the authority to declare a slum unfit based on various factors, such as proximity to high-tension wires, storm water drains, or railway tracks. However, this declaration alone does not grant authorities the power to clear the area or demolish buildings without issuing a separate notification.

Referring to the spot inspection report, Dayananda said a high tension wire of KPTCL passes over the 30-year-old slum. “Residing here is dangerous,” he said in the notice issued on August 11. The residents have been given 15 days to raise objections. 

The notice has reportedly alarmed the residents, who fear they will be relocated to a smaller area in Gowdanahalli, Yeshwanthpur, while Ashraya Nagar spans six acres. Concerned about losing their homes, some residents have approached the Deputy Commissioner of Bengaluru Urban District. Deputy Commissioner KA Dayanand stated that the declaration was issued under Section 11 for the residents’ benefit.

“No alternate land can be allotted to the residents without declaring their existing slum under this section. The declaration has been issued for their benefit but some are misinterpreting the rule. Without the declaration, parichaya patra also cannot be given, which is a must to get alternate land,” he said.