The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has begun its demolition drive again in Bengaluru to clear storm water drains (SWD) before the monsoon begins. The drive was carried out in a residential complex in Doddanekundi called Ferns City on Monday, June 19. Residents of Ferns City also protested against the demolition, saying that their homes were being targeted while the bigger complexes and offices such as Bagmane Tech Park were being spared from the demolitions.
BJP’s vice president and former MLA from KR Pura, Nandiesha Reddy also joined the protest. Visuals showed him attempting to stop an earthmover vehicle from demolition by demanding the driver get down and hand over his keys. Nandiesha also alleged that the drives were being carried out due to instructions from the Congress-led government, who were unhappy with BJP’s lead in the Mahadevapura constituency.
“BJP has a lot of support here and Congress might have instructed to demolish buildings in such areas. I have grown up in this area. All we are saying is that they follow proper procedure. We agree that you have to demolish places where the rajakaluves are,” Nandiesha told reporters. The residents also questioned the BBMP authorities on why the demolition was being carried out in their complex when there was a stay from the Karnataka High Court.
Demolition drives in Bengaluru began on June 17, and several properties have been marked for demolition in Mahadevapura and KR Pura. However, the BBMP could not smoothly proceed with the demolition as residents furnished a court stay order from September 2022, according to a report by TOI. The stay order was in regard to survey number 34, where 22 buildings were marked for demolition. The drives began in Bengaluru in 2022 after heavy rains lashed the city in September. Several elite residential complexes were inundated with water and residents had to be evacuated. Encroachments of stormwater drains were identified as the main reason behind the flooding.