Saturday, November 30, 2024

Ejipura Flyover: Instruction to impose fine on contractors

 Crack in Ejipur flyover: Estimates Committee orders strict action

Ejipura Flyover: Instruction to impose fine on contractors

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: ‘A segment in the Ejipur flyover work has cracked, and the previous contractors who did such poor work should be fined and legal action should be taken,’ the Assembly Estimates Committee has instructed BBMP officials.

Members led by Assembly Estimates Committee Chairman Hampanagouda Badarli inspected the Ejipur flyover work on November 22. They expressed concern about the crack appearing in the segment while it was being installed on the flyover. The BBMP officials were instructed to present all details in this regard before the committee.

M.T. Krishnappa, who chaired the Assembly Estimates Committee meeting held on Friday, took a dig at BBMP engineers for the poor work.

‘The work of the Ejipur flyover was carried out by Simplex Infrastructures Company in the initial stage. The segments built by these contractors cracked during installation. The loss due to this should be recovered from the previous contractors as a penalty. Legal action should be taken against them,’ M.T. Krishnappa told.

Three segments Crack in Ejipura Flyover Read…

‘Before the installation of all the segments built by the previous contractors in the Ejipur flyover work, an examination should be conducted by experts from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The Executive Engineer and Chief Engineer have been ordered to conduct a third-party inspection,’ he said.

‘The flyover work was supposed to be completed by February 2025. However, the previous contractor did poor construction. This has created concerns that it will pose a danger to the citizens. Therefore, the new contractor should be instructed to complete the work by October 2025. "Security and protection are most important above all," he said.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

‘Anti Smog Gun’ to Control Air Pollution

  •  8 Total ‘Anti Smog Gun’ Machine
  • 45 km to 60 km ‘Anti Smog Gun’ Traffic per Day
  • 6000 Liters Water Storage in Each ‘Anti Smog Gun’

‘Anti Smog Gun’ to Control Air Pollution


Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: BBMP is using ‘Anti Smog Gun’ machines to control pollution on roads with high air pollution in the city.

Air pollution is increasing day by day in the city, and in the wake of controlling it, some steps are being taken by the BBMP Road Infrastructure Department. ‘Anti Smog Gun’ is one of them.

‘Anti Smog Gun’ machines are being used in areas where there is a lot of construction and areas with high air pollution. A vehicle equipped with this machine travels about 60 km every day. "As air pollution is increasing in Delhi, precautionary measures are being taken to prevent such a situation from happening in the city," said Principal Engineer B.S. Prahlad, Chief Engineer, Road Infrastructure.

"Water is being used for 'anti-smog gun' machines from the 5 MLD wastewater treatment plant built by BBMP in Koramangala-100 Valley," he said.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

BDA: E-Khata Service SUSPENDED

 E-Khata application not registered for 15 days on SevaSindhu portal

BDA: E-Khata suspended; Owners in distress

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Development Authority, which is still slow in implementing the online system, has suspended issuing e-Khata. Property owners have been struggling for 15 days without getting e-Khata.

The Revenue Department has made e-Khata mandatory for sale of plots and any kind of registration. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has taken several steps to issue e-Khata. However, the BDA has woken up late and has now started the process of changing the software.

The BDA, which has fewer plots or buildings under its jurisdiction than the BBMP, has not implemented any system including plans and khata completely online except for property tax payment. Although e-khata has been provided to the plots of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Layout (NPKL), not everything in it is connected to the ‘Kaveri Software’ of the Revenue Department.

To get e-khata for BDA plots or buildings, one could apply on the government’s ‘Seva Sindhu’ portal. After uploading some documents including purchase/lease deed, khata, there was a system to go to the concerned BDA office and verify the documents and get e-khata there. However, this process has also been stopped now.

If one tries to apply for BDA’s e-khata on the ‘Seva Sindhu’ portal, a message saying ‘Khata service is not available on November 15 and 16 due to data management’ is being received even on November 25. Due to this, property owners are facing difficulties.

‘E-khata has been made mandatory for property sales. However, BDA has stopped the process of issuing e-khata. I am facing difficulties as I am unable to sell the property and complete the predetermined financial transaction,” said Ramesh from Jayanagar.

“I have applied for a loan on a BDA site for my children’s higher education. Everything has been approved. However, the site needs to be registered as a debt with the bank. But the sub-registrar is saying that registration is not possible without an e-khata. BDA officials have been saying for the past 10 days that the software is being updated,” said Ravikishore from Rajajinagar.

‘Everything is online: hence the delay’

‘The software is being updated to manage the entire process of issuing e-khata for sites or buildings online. The government’s e-Governance Centre (CEG) is conducting the process. The CEG had said that the process will be completed in two days. However, it is not yet complete,” a BDA official, who did not want to be named, informed.

“The e-Khata process will be completed online. For this, the information is being uploaded to the ‘Kaveri Software’ of the Deputy Registrar’s office. Once the process is completed, everything will be available online. There is no need to come to the BDA office. It may take another three to four days for this system to be implemented,” he said.

“All information including BDA plans, Khata, approval letter, tax is being made available online to the property owners at one place,” he said.



Friday, November 22, 2024

Ejipura flyover: Crack in 3 segments

 Problem in two segments installed and one in the construction unit

Ejipura flyover: Crack in 3 segments

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The number of cracked segments in the Ejipur flyover work has reached three. The flyover work is being delayed again due to problems with the segments constructed by the contractors four years ago.

A crack was found in the segment during the Ejipur flyover work. Cement and gravel were leaking from the ‘precast segment’ constructed four years ago. Since this problem was found in one or two segments, they are being taken down. At the same time, a crack was also found in another segment in the ‘casting unit’.

The elevated corridor on the Koramangala Outer Ring Road (Ejipur) is 2.5 km long. The contract for the construction of the long flyover was awarded to Simplex Infrastructure in 2017. They have manufactured 69 precast segments. The problem was found when the work of installing them was carried out by BSCPL Infrastructure.

The segments are being replaced based on the report of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The chief engineer of the BBMP project department had also suggested replacing the segments. Since defects were found in the installed segments, a lot of time was spent on dismantling and replacing them. This has delayed the work.

‘A total of 564 precast segments have to be installed for the Ejipur flyover work. Out of these, 69 segments were constructed by the previous contractor. Since defects were found in some segments, further testing will be carried out before using all the segments,’ said BBMP engineers.

CRACK in Ejipura Flyover Segment… https://keremanju.blogspot.com/2024/11/ejipura-flyover-crack-in-segment.html

Completed by December 2025

‘The flyover work was hampered by several reasons, including the delay in handing over the casting unit. Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh, Additional Chief Secretary M.R. Umashankar, Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath held a meeting and resolved many issues. The work is now going on at full speed,’ said Verma of BSCPL Infrastructure, which has been contracted to do the work.

‘We have given a work schedule. Accordingly, information about the works for each month has been given, and accordingly, the work has been going on for the last three months. The flyover work will be completed by December 2025,’ he said.

IISc suggests to conduct tests and use

Prof. J.M., Civil Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), who conducted the test of the case of a crack in the segment installed on the Ejipur flyover, Chandra Kishan has advised that segments should be installed after conducting all kinds of tests.

‘The strength of the segments should be tested through rebound hammer and UPV tests. If there is honeycombing in the concrete, further testing should be done on them,’ the report said.



Check the information of the tree next to your house!

BBMP's tree census information available to citizens on a trial basis

Check the information of the tree next to your house!

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: Citizens of the city can get to know the age of the tree, its species, name-biological name, and its circumference. Not only that, if there is a mistake in it, BBMP can also give suggestions for correction.

BBMP is conducting a tree census for the first time in the city and is recording comprehensive information including pictures and species of trees in the app. So far, information on about 3.25 lakh trees has been uploaded. Information on about 20 thousand trees is being added every day.

The tree census is being carried out on the mobile app prepared by the Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre (KSRSAC). BBMP has enabled citizens to check the information on trees so far at https://kgis.ksrsac.in/test/

Its information can be obtained ward-wise along with a picture of the tree. By selecting a ward on the extensive map and clicking on the image of a tree identified on a side or main road, its information will be available. Each tree is given the ward name and number.

Eight divisions: The geographical area of ​​the city is 840 square kilometers. Eight divisions of 100 square kilometers each have been divided. These divisions have been considered as units and eight contractors have been appointed. They are entering information in the KSRSAC app. Information from all divisions is being uploaded at the end of each day,’ said Deputy Conservator of Forests B.L.G. Swamy.

Slow pace: ‘The Rasta organization, which has been contracted for tree census in Yelahanka and Dasarahalli zones, is delaying the work. A notice has been issued to them to cancel the contract, and if they do not work quickly, the contract will be cancelled. The Chief Commissioner has also been informed about this and he will take the final decision,’ said Swamy.

‘Rasta has taken the contract for the tree census in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, West, East and South zones. The work is going on fast there. But they are slow in two zones. Jeevan has taken the contract and is working in Bommanahalli and Mahadevapura zones,’ he informed.

‘The tree census survey work is going on at a very fast pace and information on 25,000 to 30,000 trees is being uploaded daily. Thus, the entire tree census will be completed in the next two or three months,’ he said.

‘Available in Kannada too’

‘The information on trees in the tree census has been published on the website on a trial basis. Citizens can view the information on trees in their jurisdiction. If any information is wrong, they can comment on it,’ said Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP Forest Department.

‘The website is in the experimental stage and any changes can be made. Therefore, citizens can send suggestions. Right now, the information is available only in English. "Eventually, when the website is officially launched, information will also be available in Kannada," he said.



Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Swimming pool: No safety guidelines

 BBMP map required for construction; no safety standards

Swimming pool: No safety guidelines

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: There are no safety standards to be followed in swimming pools in the city. BBMP and fire brigades do not have safety system guidelines to be adopted in swimming pools.

Swimming is a sport that everyone wants to learn. Swimming pools are a favorite for children. Even those who do not know to swim want to spend time in swimming pools and have fun. As the depth increases, swimming pools cause anxiety instead of fun. Government agencies have not indicated what kind of safety measures should be in swimming pools, which can only be enjoyed if they are safe.

Although BBMP has 16 swimming pools in the city, the number of these in luxury hotels, clubs, shopping malls, and apartments exceeds a few thousand. Although so many swimming pools are attractively built, the question arises as to how safe they are. What safety measures have been taken? Senior and junior officials of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike are not aware of the standards.

The BBMP, which has sufficient guidelines for the construction and maintenance of hotels, restaurants, bars-pubs, and paying guests (PGs), does not have separate guidelines for safety measures in swimming pools.

There are general standards that ‘the water level in the swimming pool should be entered on both sides of the pool, cleanliness should be maintained, there should be a tube system, and there should be a supervisor at all times’. However, no organization has given mandatory instructions that all this must be in place.

Luxury hotels, clubs, and some apartments have swimming instructors. Staff are always present to maintain them. However, this does not apply to all swimming pools. Most swimming pools do not have supervisors. In case of danger, there are no helpers nearby.

In 2023, a girl died of electric shock in a swimming pool on the outskirts of the city. At that time, some talk was made about the safety of the swimming pool, but no action was taken in the days that followed.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath refused to answer the question, ‘Are there standards for the safety of swimming pools?’

BBMP Swimming Pool Private Management

‘There are 16 swimming pools in the BBMP area. Their management has been given to the zones. However, they are not being managed by the corporation. They have been given to private individuals or organizations on an agreement. It has been said that necessary safety measures should be taken. But what measures have not been mentioned,’ said BBMP officials.

‘The complete information about the swimming pools in the corporation is not in the office of the Chief Commissioner or the  Engineer in Chief. They have been given to the zones, and information should be obtained from them. I do not know what measures have been taken regarding safety,’ he replied with a haughty tone.

Entry in the building plan

‘Apartments in the city have identified the area as a swimming pool when they get the building plan and have obtained permission. After that, it is not built everywhere as a swimming pool. It is used for other needs. We do not give much emphasis on it,” said BBMP urban planning officials.

“If any kind of construction including a swimming pool is to be done, it must have a plan approval. If it is not on the plan, then it must be approved before construction. However, we do not have any conditions regarding the implementation of safety measures,” they informed.

“We only see whether the safety measures that can be taken in the event of a fire disaster are implemented in buildings. The safety of the swimming pool does not come under our purview,” said fire department officials.

“There is an instruction for diseased control”

“The health department can issue instructions for the control of diseases that can arise and spread from swimming pool water. There is a rule that the cleanliness of the swimming pool can be maintained without harming health in any way. However, we need to check what rules are in place regarding safety and security,” said BBMP Health Department Special Commissioner Suralkar Vikas Kishore.

‘There should be strict measures’

‘Safety in swimming pools is of utmost importance. The same care that is taken while constructing a swimming pool should be given to its maintenance as well. Water can pose any danger. For this, safety measures should be strict. Government agencies should monitor to ensure that strict action is taken,’ demanded Chandrappa, a resident of Vijayanagar.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Land conversion beyond the law

 DC approval not required for conversion of agricultural land in urban areas: Act

Land conversion beyond the law

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: Agricultural land has been being converted for non-agricultural use from a year, violating the government law that does not require land conversion within urban areas.

The 'invisible hands' are working to prevent the implementation of the government law by hiding it. Thus, the District Commissioner is accepting applications from land owners for land conversion. Landowners are being unnecessarily burdened by paying lakhs of rupees in fees.

The permission of the District Commissioner is not required to use agricultural land within the 'Master Plan' for non-agricultural needs. The government had issued an order in 2023 that it would be sufficient to pay the required fee along with a prescribed self-declaration while obtaining the construction plan from the concerned urban planning authority. However, the District Commissioner is not following this.

To simplify the land conversion process in urban areas, the state government has amended the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 and issued a notification on July 27, 2023, with the approval of the Governor. 

Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 has been amended, and if the land used for agriculture or other purposes is included in the ‘Master Plan’ as per the Karnataka Town and Countryside (KTCP) Act, 1961, then the land conversion process by the District Collector is not required. It has been informed that the holders of such land should pay the necessary fee to the Town Planning Authority. 

An application should be submitted to the District commissioner for conversion of land or agricultural land that is outside the jurisdiction of the local planning authority and not published in the master plan. The District Commissioner can convert it after obtaining the approval of the concerned planning authority and paying the fee. If there is no response from the Planning Authority within 15 days, it shall be deemed as approval.

If the District Collector does not approve the land conversion application within 30 days of its submission, it shall be deemed as ‘conversion approved’. The Act clearly states that the District Collector shall approve it immediately after payment of the prescribed fee.

‘No rules have been formulated’

“The Karnataka Land Revenue Act has been amended and a notification has been issued. However, the necessary rules have not been formulated yet. Therefore, BBMP and BDA are unable to collect fees and give the necessary approval for such unconverted land. Some district commissioners are obstructing the formulation of rules,” said a Revenue Department official who did not want to be named.

‘The amendment to the law has been brought at the insistence of Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. The opinion of the state’s district commissioner has been obtained and it has been tabled in the legislature and notified. However, some people have obstructed its implementation.

‘Government is cheating citizens’

‘The government has said that the law has been amended to simplify land conversion in urban areas and to avoid the inconvenience and office wandering of citizens. However, they are cheating by not implementing it,” complained Padmanabhar Reddy, a former leader of the BBMP ruling party.

“The District commissioner is illegally converting land, and the Revenue Minister is aware of this, but he is silent. Action should be taken immediately to implement the law,” he demanded.

“The agricultural land under the jurisdiction of the 110 villages, including the municipalities and town panchayats that have come under the jurisdiction of the BBMP, does not need to be converted. However, they are being given B-khata and creating problems. In addition, the revenue that the BDA and BBMP could have received has also been hindered,” he said.

Friday, November 15, 2024

Nov. 25 deadline for clearing lake encroachment

  • Total lakes under BBMP jurisdiction: 201
  • Encroachment in 159 lakes
  • Total encroachmentclearance of 851 acres pending

Action against officials if action is not taken as per High Court directive: BBMP

Nov. 25 deadline for clearing lake encroachment

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: BBMP has given another deadline for clearing encroachment of lakes in the city. It has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against the concerned officials if encroachment is not cleared by November 25.

The Special Commissioner of the Administrative Division issued a ‘Letter of Information’ to all the executive engineers under BBMP jurisdiction on November 13, asking them to completely clear the encroachment of lakes under their jurisdiction. They have been instructed to submit a report by November 27.

The state government, which had been objected to several times by the High Court, had issued an order on August 28, 2023, deputing officers for the protection of lakes and primary-secondary royal canals and clearing encroachments, specifying their responsibilities.

The BBMP had also submitted an action plan to the High Court through an affidavit stating that the encroachments of the lakes would be cleared within a time frame. Accordingly, it had started a 16-week action plan to clear encroachments in 159 lakes from the first week of September 2023. The encroachment clearance work of the first week of lakes was to be completed in 70 days.

The 16-week action plan process was completed by the end of December, and even if calculated from that period, the encroachments of all the lakes were to be cleared by mid-March 2024. However, due to the negligence of the BBMP officials, the encroachment clearance operation has not yet begun.

‘As per the directions of the High Court and as per the action plan for clearing encroachments of lakes, the work of measuring, surveying and identifying encroachments of the lake should have been done. The Chief Commissioner expressed dissatisfaction in the meeting held on October 25, 2024 that no action has been taken so far. Therefore, the encroachment work of all lakes should be completed by November 25. Disciplinary action will be taken against the failed officers as per the Karnataka Civil Service Rules (Conduct, Classification and Appeals) and the Karnataka Municipality Act,’ the Special Commissioner of the Administrative Division has warned all the executive engineers.





BBMP takes over 7 acres worth ₹242.5 crore: Preeti Gehlot

13 lakes Encroachment cleared

Bengaluru: Encroachment has been cleared in 13 lakes on November 30th under BBMP jurisdiction, and seven acres of land has been taken over.

As per the High Court order, survey and clearance work is underway to clear encroachment of lakes under the jurisdiction of the corporation, said Preeti Gehlot, Special Commissioner of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Management.

Out of the 202 lakes under the jurisdiction of the corporation, the survey work of 162 lakes has been completed, out of which 49 lakes are free from encroachment. There is government encroachment in 23 lakes, and steps are being taken to clear the encroachments in coordination with the zones, she informed.

Encroachment clearance operations have been carried out in 13 lakes in four zones of the corporation, and a total of 7 acres 3 guntes of encroached area worth ₹242.5 crore have been cleared and steps have been taken to install wire fencing.

Mahadevapura Zone: 2 acres 6 guntes of Doddanekundi Lake have been cleared of encroachment and steps have been taken to install wire fencing. An 8 guntes area that was encroached on in Vibhutipur Lake has been cleared.

East Zone: A shed on 2.5 guntes of land in Kaggadasapura Lake has been cleared and a wire fence is being installed on 22.5 guntes of empty land.

Bommanahalli Zone: 30 guntes of empty land in Konanakunte Lake have been taken possession of and a wire fence has been installed. 12 guntes of Arekere Lake and 28 guntes of Subbarayana Lake have been cleared. 

Yelahanka Zone: Preeti Gehlot informed that a total of 2 acres and 14 guntes of encroachment area in seven lakes including 2 guntes in Avalahalli Lake, 24 guntes in Yelahanka Lake, 8 guntes in Medi Agrahara Lake, 4 guntes in Agrahara Lake, 1.50 guntes in Kattigenahalli Lake, 25 guntes in Narasipur Lake, and 29.50 guntes in Singapore Lake have been cleared. 

Disciplinary Action: The Special Commissioner of the Administrative Division had issued a ‘Letter of Information’ to all the Executive Engineers under the BBMP jurisdiction on November 13, warning that disciplinary action would be taken against the concerned officers if the encroachment of the lakes under their jurisdiction was not cleared by November 25. He had also directed that a report should be submitted by November 27.

In the encroachment clearance action plan submitted to the High Court, the BBMP had stated that a total of 851 acres of encroachment clearance is pending in the lakes under its jurisdiction.


Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Garbage fine for APARTMENTS

 Lack of solid waste management system in bulk generators

Garbage fine for APARTMENTS 

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

BENGALURU: BBMP has decided to impose double penalty on apartments that do not have waste management system.

According to the solid waste management rules, in apartments where waste is generated more than 100 kg (bulk generator), there should be a management system for it. However, wrong information is being given that we are giving waste to someone. All these will be checked and action will be taken," BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath told reporters on Monday.

During the inspection by our staff, many bulk generators are saying that they are disposing waste to MSGP Infratech Institute. However, MSGP has a capacity of 750 tonnes. 500 tonnes of solid waste is being disposed of daily by BBMP. How are so many bulk generators of the city disposing of the remaining 250 ton capacity. There are questions about whether so many tippers are going there. Therefore, an inspection is being done', he said.

"Bulk generators are disposing of solid waste informally without coming into our system. They are giving money to some people. They are littering our vehicles. It is going to land fill areas' he said.

Apartments must have a solid waste disposal system. For those who do not have this system, schedule a time and implement it. Until then, the BBMP will collect the garbage by collecting double the cost from them in the form of fine. He informed that more than twice the amount of money allocated for waste disposal is collected from the solid waste management company.

BBMP has decided to allow private companies to set up solid waste management units. Organizations can implement their own space and machines for processing. He said that waste can be obtained from bulk generators.

Friday, November 8, 2024

Ejipura flyover: Crack in segment

Lack of quality in 'precast' of previous contractors; Disruption to work

Ejipura flyover: Crack in segment



Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: A crack was found in the segment of Easypur flyover while the work was going on. Cement and gravel are coming out from the 'precast segment' which was built four years ago.

Due to the intervention of Transport Minister Ramalingareddy, the work which had gained momentum for the last two months has again faced a setback. A crack has appeared in the 'precast segment' built by the previous contractor. During the process of placing the segments on the pillars and connecting them with cables, gravel and cement fell from the segments, causing considerable cracking.

Elevated Corridor on Koramangala Outer Ring Road (Ejipur) 2.5 km. Simplex Infrastructure Company started constructing the long flyover from 2017. Lease was given. The project was to be completed by 2019. The contract was canceled in 2022 as per the instructions of the High Court due to delay in the work. Later, a 'turn key lumpsum' contract was awarded to BSCPL Infrastructure to complete the remaining work and the mandate was issued on November 17, 2023.

Out of the 69 precast segments constructed by the previous contractor, 11 segments have been installed by the present contractor. While assembling these, cement, gravel fell from one segment and a lot of cracks appeared. Thus, the work has been stopped for a week. Due to this, the speed of work has slowed down and there is a possibility that it will be delayed compared to the previous project.

Indian Institute of Science (IISC) experts visited the spot and inspected the segment and gave a report. Accordingly, it is recommended to remove the cracked segment and install another one.

We have experienced a lot of problems since the work has not been done for four years. Work was going on fast for two months. Now they have stopped because there is some problem. We are the only ones who are suffering from the traffic every day," lamented Rajamohan, a local.

Will be Replaced: Lokesh

A defect has appeared in the precast segment constructed by the previous contractor. Only one segment is the problem and it is suggested to replace it. All kinds of preliminary tests are being done. But this error was not found. The work will be continued with more caution," said Lokesh, chief engineer of the planning department.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Engineers not willing to identify the illegal building!

 Engineers who did not follow instructions of BBMP Chief Commissioner

Engineers not willing to identify the illegal building!

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bangalore: Zonal level officials and engineers are hesitating to survey and report the illegally constructed buildings in the city.

 On October 25, Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had ordered all the zonal commissioners to survey the buildings being constructed illegally without plan and in violation of the plan and submit a report within a week.

 It was suggested to register the illegal construction of buildings using the app. The survey work has been done by taking 70 people from a private agency. Tushar Girinath himself told the reporters that the report has come from Mahadevpur and the western zone, and it will be available from the rest of the zones on the evening of November 4.

 The facts are different from the information given by the Chief Commissioner. The list of illegal buildings in the zones is not yet prepared. Local engineers have been lagging behind in identifying unauthorized buildings. Thus, this process is still in its infancy. BBMP sources said that the final notice given to some buildings many years ago is being implemented now.

 Whatever app is made, local engineers should record information in it. That process itself is delayed. Also, there are many kinds of pressure on engineers, including politics.

The information about all the buildings being constructed illegally or unofficially is available in the Junior, Assistant and Assistant Executive Engineers, Joint Director of City Planning. Give them a notice whenever they want and they will calm down. No action is taken even after many months. Thus, illegal buildings are fully constructed. Officials of the city planning department, who did not want to be named, said that only when there is a building disaster, the word 'Evacuation of Illegal Buildings' is raised.

 The words of CM and DCM are not recognized!

 On October 24, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that if any illegal or unauthorized building construction continues, action will be taken against the concerned engineers including the zonal commissioner. He said that he should not be under any influence.

 Shivakumar also instructed to conduct a survey about the construction of illegal buildings and submit a report within a week. Similarly, Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had also ordered. However, none of the instructions were recognized at the local level. The survey and reporting of illegal buildings is still in the initial stage.

 "No information yet"

 Information about unauthorized and illegal buildings should be identified by local engineers and forwarded to the central office through the chief engineer, joint commissioner and zonal commissioner. All of them will be collected and a report will be prepared,” said Girish, additional director of urban planning who has been appointed as the nodal officer for preparing the report on illegal buildings.

 He suggested to become a nodal officer only on Tuesday. "The work has not started yet," he said.



Wednesday, November 6, 2024

HUDCO Loan 27000 crores for Bengaluru Business Corridor

HUDCO Loan of ₹27000 crorea for Bengaluru Business Corridor

Farmers get better compensation: BDA

  •  ₹27 thousand crores Cost of construction of business corridor
  •  2,400 acres Final notification for land acquisition
  •  3 years Deadline for project completion

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

 BENGALURU: HUDCO has agreed to provide the complete loan for construction of the 73 km long 'Bengaluru Business Corridor' on the outskirts of the city.

 Due to land acquisition, the project, which has been stalled for many years, is being finalized. A special package is being prepared for land acquisition and it is planned to fix the compensation amount between the BDA Act 2013 and the compensation amount of the current land acquisition process.

 The project which was known as Peripheral Ring Road has been named as 'Bangalore Business Corridor'. A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) has been set up for the implementation of this scheme, headed by Additional Chief Secretary L.K. Atheeq has been made the President.

 The Business Corridor Project has been decided to be constructed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) by getting a loan through government guarantee. The Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO) has agreed to provide a full loan at an interest rate of 9 per cent for this project. Negotiations are underway to reduce the interest. Apart from this, talks are going on with two more organizations and will be finalized in 15 days, said L.K. Atheeq told Prajavani.

 The project requires land acquisition of 2600 acres, of which 200 acres are owned by government institutions and have been handed over. He said that the process of land acquisition will be completed soon by negotiating with the farmers and landowners and giving them compensation in a way that will satisfy them.

The government has deputed eight KAS officers to complete the land acquisition process. Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) has been started. After completing all the necessary processes, the tender will be called in six months. He informed that the target of completion of the project has been set within three years from the commencement of the work.

 Commercial Area: 

It is planned to construct a 100 meter corridor. Land acquisition will happen like that. Both sides of the business corridor are intended to provide land for commercial purposes. Six lanes of 50 meters will be constructed. The remaining space will be sold for commercial purposes,” said Atiq.

 60% of the cost of the project is required for land acquisition. Therefore, the debt cannot be paid only by toll collection. Thus, the space on both sides of the corridor will be sold.

 Business Corridor route 

 The business corridor starting from near Nice Junction near Madanayakahalli on Tumkur Road will reach Namaghatta Road, Doddaballapur Road, Bellary Road, Hennur, Old Madras Road, Whitefield, Channasandra, Sarjapur Road, Hosur Road.

 The PRR will pass over railway level crossings and 395 minor junctions on the roads of Nameghatta, Doddaballapur, Chikkaballapur, Whitefield, Hosur. A total of 16 flyovers are planned to be constructed over the Jarakabande Lake, Tirumenahalli Lake, Chinnaganahalli Lake, Gunjur Lake, and Chikkatoguru Lakes.



Tunnel Road: ₹750 crore per KM, Tender in January

Tunnel Road: ₹750 crore per KM, Tender in January

  • Tunnel Road (First Phase)
  •  18 km long From Hebbal to silk board 
  •  ₹750 crore Cost per km tunnel road
  •  January 2025 Tender invitation for construction of tunnel road

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

BENGALURU: The BBMP plans to invite tenders for the Tunnel project in January, intending to use Chinese tunnel boring machines (TBMs) to construct a tunnel road in the city. Also, the project cost is also high.

 There is a plan to construct a six-lane tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board, in which two roads have been decided to be reserved for BMTC buses.  Only electric buses are allowed to ply. Also, it is planned to build commercial purpose stores, malls, multi-storied parking buildings.

 It was earlier estimated that one km of tunnel road would cost ₹450 crore. However, according to the DPR completed by BBMP in three months, one km tunnel road will cost ₹600 crore to ₹750 crore.

 The tunnel road project requires about 56 acres of land acquisition, of which 50 per cent of the land will be reused. Along with the commercial purpose, it is considered to be used for the beautification of the tunnel road.

 It has been decided to implement the project in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and the plan has been made so that 70% of the cost will be borne by private contractors. BBMP plans to get the remaining 30% from financial institutions, said BBMP officials.

The relationship between India and China is improving and plans are being made to import TBMs directly from China. Chinese TBMs have been used instead of European TBMs, the cost of the project will be reduced by 10%. We have decided to start this project in six months," said Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar told Prajavani.

 The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready and it has been decided to call for tenders in January. The tunnel road is planned to be built on a world scale in such a way that everyone will be amazed. All kinds of facilities will be provided on this road," said BBMP Principal Engineer B.S. Prahlad said.

 'Point' for entry-exit

 The North-South Tunnel Road Corridor will start from the front of Hebbal Lake and will go up to the Central Silk Board. Entry and exit of vehicles will be allowed in front of the lake. After this, a 'point' for exit and entry of vehicles will be constructed near Hebbal Veterinary Hospital. A 'point' is currently planned to be constructed near Mekhri Circle Palace Grounds, Golf Grounds and Maharani College, Lal Bagh. It is intended to provide entry and exit on Sarjapur Road and Outer Ring Road side.




Sunday, November 3, 2024

NAMBIKE NAKSHE (Building plan)not found in time limit

BBMP: Approval only after going to AROs office

NAMBIKE NAKSHE not found in time limit

  •  More than 50 percent applications are pending
  •  Excessive delay in East, West, South zone
  •  The original purpose of the project failed


Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

 Bengaluru: The objective of the 'NAMBIKE NAKSHE' project, which started with the slogan of providing a map for the construction of residential buildings in a single day, has failed. Citizens do not get the map within the time frame, and the wandering to the BBMP offices has not stopped yet.

 Under the concept of 'Brand Bangalore', the 'NAMBIKE NAKSHE- Nimma Mane Nakshe Nima bagilige' scheme to get building plans without going to the BBMP office was practically successful in Rajarajeshwari Nagar and Dasarahalli zones.

 Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had extended this scheme to all sectors from September 2. Even after almost two months, the plan has not materialized. Plan not available online. A plan is available only if you go to the office of the revenue department officials and wander for a while.

 As per the 'Nambike Nakshe' scheme, approved map should be available within 15 days if all documents are ready for residential buildings up to 50 ft x 80 ft size. The 'temporary plan' should be available on the day of application. All this process has to be done online and BBMP staff cannot visit the office. But all this remains in the project's mission statement.

 If you apply for the plan online, the process of the city planning authorities will be completed quickly. But the revenue officials are delaying. Check the documents in the revenue department, if they match the map should be approved. "Assistant Revenue Officers (AROs) who do not follow this, want the owner or engineer to 'contact them' like before," complained Raghunath, owner of Padmanabhanagar.

 "Once a system is successful in practice, it should be fully implemented online. Although the time frame is said to be approval of the plan, it is not fixed for the AROs. If they do not approve within seven days, the approval should be automatic. But, that process is not going on,' alleged Engineer-Architect Ramesh.

 The process of providing e-khatha for all properties in the city is underway. Besides, work of revision of voter list is also going on. Thus, the process on the 'Nambike Nakshe' is slowing down," explained AROs who did not want to be named.

 'There is no difference from before'

 Although the new scheme has been implemented, there is not much difference from the old system. As the slogan of 'Nambike Nakshe' suggests, 'temporary plan' is not available in a day. They made it as if there was no choice. As before, AROs should be visited frequently in their office, during their time. Architect-Engineer Sarvottam shared his experience saying that the statement 'You cannot go to BBMP office' has not been implemented here. Citizens' wandering has not stopped.

 'Not yet full automated'

 Automatic plan approval under the 'NAMBIKE NAKSHE' scheme for buildings has not been fully implemented. The approval of the plan is done only after the approval of the Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) after completion of the process. It is held that there may be problems if there is an automatic system at the initial stage. However, it is true that the approval by AROs is getting delayed. At their stage, there are many pending applications or files,' informed the senior officials of the Town planning department.

 Application status of 'NAMBIKE NAKSHE'

 (From September 2 to October 28)

 Zoning; Application Receipt; Approval

 East; 126; 17

 West; 145; 50

 South; 215; 30

 Bommanahalli; 250; 64

 Mahadevpur;78;35

 Yalahanka; 107; 60

 Rajarajeshwari Nagar;707;480

 Dasarahalli; 49; 37

 Total; 1617; 773