As many as 24 different properties have been marked for stormwater drain encroachment at Spice Garden Layout at Munnekolalu in Mahadevapura zone by Revenue Department officials where Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was stopped from carrying out a demolition drive. 

The residents had secured a stay order from the High Court (HC) which the BBMP learnt just when they landed at the private layout on Saturday morning. Tushar Giri Nath, Chief Commissioner, BBMP said the civic body was oblivious to the stay order secured by the residents. There are about 24 properties sitting on rajakaluves and the tahsildar had passed an order for razing structures. 

Mr. Giri Nath said these structures come under single survey numbers and in many cases in the city, multiple properties come under a single survey number. There are a total of 571 survey numbers where encroachments have been identified. 

There may be such cases in other survey numbers too which the legal team will look into and find a solution. The civic body is committed to raze the structures as flooding is a major concern in Mahadevpura, a tech corridor, officials said. 

A BBMP official said Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar has given stern directions to the BBMP not to show any mercy on any encroachers, including real estate giants. . 

The official further alleged that private layouts in Mahadevpura, including Rainbow Drive layout, are big encroachers of drains, but in all the cases BBMP could not demolish a single structure due to court stays.  

source : the hindu