Drive to remove encroachments on SWDs, lakes to be taken up in Bengaluru

Setting a November 15 deadline, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath has ordered for a drive to remove encroachments on Storm Water Drains (SWDs) and lakes in the city where tahsildars concerned have already surveyed the disputed properties and declared them as encroaching SWDs.

Setting a November 15 deadline, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Chief Commissioner Tushar Giri Nath has ordered for a drive to remove encroachments on Storm Water Drains (SWDs) and lakes in the city where tahsildars concerned have already surveyed the disputed properties and declared them as encroaching SWDs.

He has also ordered for a survey of all lakes in BBMP jurisdiction, following which a drive to clear them of encroachments will be taken up, he said. 

This follows the recent flooding of parts of the city during the rains earlier this week and Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s instructions to clear encroachments. 

Mr. Giri Nath chaired a joint meeting with the Bengaluru Urban district administration, including the Deputy Commissioner and all tahsildars in the city limits on Friday, where he issued these instructions. 

At another review meeting of the BBMP, Mr. Giri Nath instructed all private firms and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) to remove all overhead cables on all TenderSURE roads in the city. 

“Since all TenderSURE roads had dedicated underground ducts for utilities, overhead cables are not allowed. All private firms should immediately remove all overhead cables and shift them to the ducts,” he said. He also instructed Bescom to follow suit in due course.