Whitefield buildings flout plans, residents fume

Bengaluru: Illegal buildings are proliferating in Whitefield.

A recent RTI response revealed that nearly 52 per cent of buildings in Whitefield’s fast-developing White Rose Layout lack valid approval from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

To add to it, of the remaining 48% of the buildings, the majority has violated the approved plan, deviating from it by 300% to 500%.

Citizens who have raised this issue with the zonal officials stated that the BBMP has done very little to prevent the proliferation of illegal buildings in the area.

“In July 2023, the BBMP chief commissioner announced a 117-day process to be followed to act against illegal buildings. The BBMP first conducted a survey in the said layout in October 2023. Since then, they know that majority of the buildings here are illegal. However, till date, they have neither stopped construction nor taken any action,” said Sandeep Anirudhan, a citizen activist from Whitefield.

He said many buildings secured approval to construct two floors and had ended up constructing up to six. “Even such blatant violations have not been addressed,” he said.

Citizens alleged that other layouts in the vicinity also have a large number of illegal buildings emerging, and the BBMP has been ignorant about this issue.

Anirudhan added that these illegal buildings adversely impact the surroundings and should be addressed and regulated.

“For instance, many of these illegal constructions do not have a proper sewage system and sewage overflowing on roads is a common sight. That apart, thanks to illegal borewells in these areas, water scarcity has increased. There are many such problems,” he said.

Data revealed that out of the 72 buildings in the layout, 38 do not have a plan approval. While the remaining buildings have approved plans, only four have been constructed without any deviations.