Four months after an order by the Karnataka High Court, a seemingly lethargic BBMP seems to have woken up. On Wednesday, BBMP officials held a meeting with the representative of two malls in the city regarding the buildings encroaching on storm water drains.
Orion Mall in Rajajinagar and Gopalan Arcade Mall in Rajarajeshwari Nagar have encroached stormwater drains. The fact emerged after the BBMP completed surveys on both the malls, Mayor BN Manjunath Reddy told Deccan Herald.
Reddy also said that the former BBMP commissioner Siddaiah had not given permission for construction of the malls but the structure had still managed to come up, the report said.
The mayor has directed senior BBMP officials to take action against ward-level engineers following reports that the construction work had resumed at Puravankara Skydale on Hosur Road, the report adds.
A week ago, the mayor had surveyed the spot and had said that the building had encroached a storm water drain and the buffer zone of the Haraluru Lake. The BBMP had also torn down the tin sheet fencing, the report states.
Samarpana, a city-based NGO that works towards providing civic amenities, had in August this year, moved the Karnataka High Court against the Brigade Enterprises Ltd, G. Stand Hotels Ltd and ETA Karnataka Estates Ltd for encroachment on 'rajakaluve'. (storm-water drains).
This move comes after the BBMP was directed by the Karnataka HC to look into the matter before December 3.
As the matter was delayed, the court had served the agency a contempt notice, after which action has been initiated.