Bengaluru: In the wake of the recent demolition drives by the local civic body Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), hundreds of homes and buildings were razed to the ground, while thousands of others were marked as encroached properties. There is an utter confusion in many of the residents and the layouts as the land was purchased from the civic authorities. This is a classic example of how the entire confusion between the Forest Department in Karnataka and the Karnataka Industrial Areas and Development Board (KIADB) caused residents of Whitefield neighbourhood to bear the brunt of the negligence and coordination among the civic agencies.
Citizens have to be really conscious about the civic authorities who allot the lands without verification. The Forest Department claims that 711 acres of land in Kadugodi belongs to them, therefore the department have decided to demolish the structures in Whitefield claiming them illegal.
According to Somasundaram, advisor of Kadugodi Industrial Association, in the year 1950, the Forest Department transferred the land to the defence forces. However, the defence authorities gave the land to farmers for agricultural purposes. However, the KIADB allotted sites to industries to start their enterprises. The Forest department claims that industries have sold their land to private land purchasers. A writ petition has been submitted to Karnataka High Court claiming 711 acres of land.
Therefore the authorities have decided to occupy the space and have demolished many of the buildings, structures and residential places. The public place and the forest space are all claimed by the officials in this locality.
“Nobody knows who’s fault it is, but someone have to be blamed for this mere negligence and the communication gap within the authorities that costs the living of many of the innocent citizens,” says a source from the Forest Department.
Kadugodi reserve forest area is bigger than Lalbhag and Cubbon Park together. Nearly 650 acres have been encroached by KIADB and Karnataka Revenue Department with multiple cases running in the court. East Bengaluru needs this lung space which the city is lacking.
Whitefield has anyways witnessed these issues with public places occupied by the officials and encroachment of playground by the MLC’s son which is put on halt by the BBMP officials in the area. However, many of the citizens have decided to get back their land on the strong basis of protests and campaigns.
‘’Whitefield have lots of issues to deal with the only remaining lung space in the area. Residents have joined hands to preserve this forest as many of the authorities are calming it. This forest is the only place remaining after the famous Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. Almost half the forest is grabbed by industrial activities and now it’s our duty to protect the only lung space remaining,’’ says Vaibhav Jain, a resident of Whitefield.
“The issue is causing lots of chaos and confusion. At this stage, the only way is to save our surroundings for better space and living. We have been protesting, filing petitions. Recently we have planted saplings and created a nursery to preserve forests,” says a member of ‘Save Whitefield Campaign’.
Many of the residents at HRBR layouts have also received notices of encroached buildings on the lake bed like Dollars Colony in JP Nagar, 7th block phase for encroaching Belikehalli Lake. Many of the citizens are facing the heat due to the local bodies’ demolishing drive. Whether the construction of colonies happen without the approval of the BDA is a big question, as these sites were developed by the BDA.
