The Hindu       20.03.2013 

Structures that came down are all encroachments: BBMP

PRECARIOUS:A temple and a footbridge over the storm water drain in
Okalipuram are also in danger of collapsing. Chunks of the retaining
wall of the drain have already come off.— PHOTO: K. GOPINATHAN

The three houses that came down on Monday morning and
the other houses abutting the storm water drain in Okalipuram have all
been labelled as encroachments by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike
(BBMP). However, the residents rubbish the BBMP’s claim insisting they
have the requisite documents.

Satish Nataraj told
The Hindu
they have been living in the area, behind the Muddaiah Silk Factory,
since 1973. “We were earlier in Swatantrapalya. Our houses were acquired
for the construction of a public toilet. The then councillor
Balasundaram asked us to build our houses here. We have ration cards,
electoral photo identity cards and even Aadhaar cards now,” he said.

Another
resident, A. Selvaraj, said that their family, after moving to the
area, had even paid tax to the corporation, displaying a photocopy of
the receipt. The receipt for Rs. 39 tax amount in 1973 was issued by the
erstwhile Bangalore City Corporation. He, however, did not produce any
documents to prove that tax had been paid thereafter.

‘No documents’

BBMP
officials said the houses were all encroachments and their owners had
no property documents to prove their ownership. They told
The Hindu
on condition of anonymity that weak foundations had ended in structure
collapse. The buildings stood over the already weakened retaining wall
of the major storm water drain of the Vrishabhavati Valley.

An
official said the masonry of the retaining wall was at least 50 years
old. It had become weak due to exposure to the elements over the years
and due to the chemical reactions from the sewage let into the storm
water drain. “Work on reconstruction and strengthening of the retaining
wall was taken up because it had weakened. In some places, the stones
have come away. We are strengthening it with cement.”

The
official pointed to the Shakti Ganapathi Temple standing on a
dilapidated section of the wall, indicating its precarious position. The
footbridge connecting two bylanes over the drain was also in a bad
shape. “We want to bring down those structures as well, as they are
accidents waiting to happen. But residents are opposed to this.”

Work taken up

Emergency
works on remodelling of the drain that flows from Sankey Tank to
Vrishabhavati Valley has been taken up at Rs.1.2 crore. The BBMP
officials claimed that the work was taken up only 15 days ago, while the
residents said it was going on for the past two months.

Title deeds

Meanwhile,
Gandhinagar MLA Dinesh Gundu Rao said that most residents there have
been given hakku patras (title deeds). “Only six houses were left out.
The file regarding issuing hakku patras to them is currently with the
BBMP Commissioner.” He added that once the Commissioner approves the
proposal, the residents who have now been rendered homeless will be
sanctioned homes under some housing scheme.