Residents of Duo layout in Kodichikkanahalli area in Bengaluru are living in a state of suspended animation not knowing what will happen to their house tomorrow.
This is the same layout in Bengaluru that was heavily inundated during the incessant rains less than 15 days ago.
While the water has drained out, residents still wear a worried face as they await the Palike’s survey- cum- demolition drive on August 9.
For the last two days BBMP's spontaneous demolition drive in various areas- Bommanahalli (17), Kasavanahalli in Mahadevapura (10) and Shivanahalli in Yelahanka (5) to build storm water drains has left many residents shaken and disturbed.
Arekere
"On Friday the officials came and marked SWD in front of some houses and left. They have neither spoken to any of us nor informed us as to what we should be looking forward to on Tuesday," said Supriya, whose resident of Duo layout for the last six years.
Supriya says that they all documents of the land. But she is still worried if her house would be brought down despite arming themselves with the papers.
“I have an 'A' khata, which means the property is legal and there are no issues pertaining to the land on which it is built. There is absolutely no mention of the SWD on this area but is that going to matter at all during tomorrow’s survey?” she asks.
According to a BBMP contractor for SWD construction, under the condition of anonymity, said that at least 20 houses might be affected in tomorrow’s survey-cum-demolition drive.
“Duo layout has four storm water drains that joins the Madivala lake. That is basically 4 lanes that are stacked with concrete structures. Only tomorrow we will know which route our bulldozers should take. But any which at least 20 houses will be affected,” he said.
One advantage Duo layout residents have over the other residents of affected layouts is that they have had the time to find an alternative to demolishing built structures.
Prasad*, another resident, said that land owners are having talks with the engineers and contractors to divert the drain from the side so that there is lesser damage.
“We are asking them to build it on the road and through the gaps between buildings,”he said.
Some residents are even trying to get in touch with the previous owners of the land to ask for compensation, but, none of them have responded to their repeated calls.
“There are 16 families living here. None of us knew there was an SWD coming here. If I had known I would have not bought a house here. Ever since the flooding episode, all of us have been trying to get in touch with the builder to ask whether he knew about the SWD. But he has just gone underground,” said Latha, a resident of Yashasvini apartments.
Latha adds that her colleague who lives in Arekere, where the demolition drive took place on Saturday, told her that people there are still inconsolable.
Bulldozers entered at Avani Sringerinagar, Arekere without warning on Saturday morning. By lunch parts of 9 houses obstructing the storm waters into Arekere lake, which caused inundation when it rained, were brought down. Some of them less than a year old.
Arekere
"My son has an A-Khata for 1200sq ft ground on my name. We have all documents including building construction sanction plan. He has been paying property taxes regularly over the last 10 years and how can this be an illegal property?” asks Padma, a resident of Avani Sringeri nagara.
Padma says the BBMP had been informing the residents about SWD for the last two years.
“While they kept chanting that the SWD has to be built, they had also promised to deviate the drain without causing any damage. Until the point when the bulldozers came on Saturday we had no idea about this,” said Padma.