The High Court of Karnataka on Friday expressed its displeasure over the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) not framing a comprehensive policy to prevent further encroachment of storm-water drains (SWDs) despite a direction given by the court earlier.
The court said, “The BBMP has not stated anything on what actions were initiated against those encroachers and what actions were initiated against the erring officers who were maintaining blissful silence when constructions encroaching the SWDs were put up.”
On criminal complaints
Though the BBMP has spoken about lodging criminal complaints against those who had obstructed the process of removal encroachments, there was no word on what action was initiated against the erring officials, the court pointed out.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Prasanna B. Varale and Justice M.G.S. Kamal made these observations while hearing PIL petitions relating to issues of protection and maintenance of lakes and SWDs.
Commissioner to be present
The Bench directed that the Chief Commissioner of the BBMP and an officer not below the rank of Deputy Secretary of the Urban Development Department should be present in the court on August 1, the next date of hearing, to know their views on preparing the comprehensive scheme.
Earlier, the BBMP, in its status report on the removal of encroachments, stated that it has, as a measure to prevent encroachment of lakes, decided to erect cement polls on the boundaries of SWDs, to hold regular meetings of BBMP and Revenue authorities, and to lodge criminal case against those who obstruct removal of encroachments.
Only partial measures
These measures, the Bench said, at best can be termed partial measures, and cannot be termed as a comprehensive scheme to prevent further encroachment of SWDs.
The Bench said that the expectation of this court, while directing the BBMP to prepare a comprehensive scheme, was that the higher officers of the civic body would not limit themselves to whatever material was available in their possession on SWDs, but also take the assistance of scientific material which is available in finding solutions.
