BBMP Chief Engineer (Lakes) says all encroached lakes in city will be cleared as per Karnataka HC’s order
BENGALURU:
A team of BBMP officials led by Special commissioner (Estates) Reddy Shankar Babu on Friday cleared illegal encroachments amounting to 1 acre and 6 guntas (worth about 30 crore) at the Varanasi (Jinke Timmanahalli) lake. The lake is spread across 8 acres and 24 guntas at Bidarahalli hobli of Varanasi village (SL 47) in Bengaluru East taluk of Hoodi (ward 54) in BBMP’s Mahadevapura zone.
In connection with the drive, Chief Engineer (Lakes) Mohan Krishna said all the encroached lakes in BBMP limits have been identified and will be cleared in a phased manner, jointly with the Revenue Department, as per the orders of the Karnataka High Court and the National Green Tribunal.
Houses with sheet roofing built on the encroached land of the Varanasi lake were demolished jointly by the Tahsildar, Revenue Department, Bengaluru East taluk, the Assistant Director, Land Records, the Land Suryevor, KR Puram taluk, the Mahadevapura zone’s Hoodi Sub-division Engineer, and the KR Puram and BMTF police. Measures were taken to fence the encroached land.
Lake being developed
According to the order of the Karnataka High Court and as per Section 308 of the Karnataka Municipal Act, 1976, a notice was issued on December 28, 2020 to all the encroachers. The Revenue Department Surveyor and the Assistant Director (Land Records) conducted an inquiry on June 26, when the encroachment was confirmed.
Under the Chief Minister’s Nava Nagarothana grant of Rs 30 crore, the Varanasi lake is being developed and 45% of the work is completed.
