Two link roads to Kempegowda International Airport

 BBMP working beyond its jurisdiction to connect to the airport

Two link roads to Kempegowda International Airport

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: BBMP is set to work beyond its jurisdiction to build two link roads for smooth traffic to Kempegowda International Airport.

As per the government order, BBMP is planning to build two roads in areas not under its jurisdiction. These roads are being built by the Road Infrastructure Department of Yelahanka Zone. For this, tenders have been invited to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) including the necessary funds, road expansion, land acquisition cost, building demolition, and re-tarmacking of the existing road.

It is proposed to build these two link roads apart from the alternative road currently being constructed via Bagalur to the airport. A new link road will be constructed from Bagalur main road through Country Club. Another link road will be constructed from Sadahalli Gate to the airport from near the power transmission unit near Begur. These two link roads will be connected to each other.

‘Both link roads have to be constructed almost from scratch. There are some ‘revenue layouts’ in this part. There is a few meters of road from there. It needs to be widened. A new road has to be constructed in the remaining part, and land acquisition has to be done,’ the engineers informed.

‘Land acquisition is planned under the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) scheme. It will be clear how much land will be acquired after the DPR is ready. This scheme has been started by the corporation on the orders of the government,’ he said.

Almost all of these link roads, which will be built in a length of about 13 km, need to be acquired. There is a possibility that the grant allocated by the government will be spent on land acquisition. Also, it is not yet known how those who will lose their land will agree to TDR. Two flyovers and one railway overbridge (ROB) will also have to be constructed on the two link roads. Hence, it is said that there may be a shortage of funds.

Link roads;

Satanur – Meesaganahalli to Kempegowda International Airport 

Begur to Sadahalli Gate to Kempegowda International Airport

• 13.5 km; Total length of the two link roads
• ₹100 m; Width of the link roads
• ₹240 crore; Estimated cost of the project
• ₹11.83 crore; Cost of preparation of DPR

BBMP to spend ₹3,108 per sapling

 Planting saplings as an alternative to uprooted trees for K-Ride project

BBMP to spend ₹3,108 per sapling

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The forest department has once again come forward to plant and nurture 34,000 saplings in two zones under BBMP jurisdiction at a cost of ₹3,108 per sapling.

The BBMP has been entrusted with the task of planting and nurturing saplings as an alternative to the trees that have been cleared by the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-Ride) project. The BBMP forest department, which has received the money, has started the sapling planting process.

The forest department has called for tenders to plant saplings in Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli zones and maintain them for five years. Although the sapling planting work was to be carried out in two zones, it has been divided into nine parts. A separate plan has been made to plant saplings in four parts in Mahadevapura zone and five parts in Bommanahalli zone. 

‘There is no need to spend ₹3,000 on a sapling. Any sapling, even if it grows to six feet, can be obtained for a maximum of ₹200. Spending thousands of rupees on maintenance is a waste. BBMP claims to have planted lakhs of saplings so far. But in reality, they have not maintained them. They are planning to plant saplings just to make ends meet,’ complained environmental activist Vijay.

This is not the first time: This is not the first time that the BBMP Forest Department has spent more than ₹3,000 on each sapling. In July 2024, a tender was called and work orders were issued to plant 10,900 saplings on both sides of the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) being built on the outskirts of the city between Dabaspet and Doddabelavangala at a cost of ₹3.4 crore. Even though summer is starting this year, there is no sign of those saplings being planted, and no G-tags have been installed.

The work has been divided into 27 works to plant 1,13,500 saplings in BBMP zones and will start in 2024. ₹21.36 crore is being spent for this, with each sapling costing ₹1,881. Despite criticism from the public about this wasteful expenditure, the work has been continued by the Forest Department.

When we tried to contact Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forests, for a comment on the wasteful expenditure on saplings, he did not pick up the call.

• The third project is costing more than ₹3,000 per sapling
• Forest Department not yielding to opposition from environmental activists
• G-Tag information on saplings not available to the public

₹10.59 crore; Cost of saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli zones

34,100; Number of saplings to be planted in two zones

₹4.87 crore; Cost of saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura zone

15,700; Saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura zone

₹5.71 crore; Saplings to be planted in Bommanahalli zone

18,400; Saplings to be planted in Bommanahalli zone

DPR for Twin Tube East-West Tunnel Road

DPR for Twin Tube East-West Tunnel Road

Bengaluru: BBMP has started preparations for the construction of the Twin Tube East-West Tunnel Road in the city and has invited tenders for the preparation of the Detailed Project Report (DPR).

To ease traffic in the city, tenders will be invited in February for the construction of the 18-km long ‘North-South Corridor’ tunnel road from Hebbal to Silk Board. The cost of this will be ₹17,780 crore, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had recently said.

The tunnel road will be constructed in two phases, and the project will be funded by the BBMP and the government. Power Finance Corporation and HUDCO have come forward to provide loans. He also said that those who pay money at low interest rates will be given opportunities through auction.

Also read… Tunnel Fee 18 per KM

The second phase of the East-West Corridor Tunnel planned under the BBMP is to be constructed as a twin tube tunnel (double deck) with six lanes and a length of 28 km. It is estimated that the cost of this will be around ₹25,000 crore.

The BBMP has a feasibility report with maps for constructing the East-West Corridor Tunnel from K.R. Pura via Jawaharlal Nehru Park, C.V. Raman Hospital, Indiranagar, Domlur, Lalbagh, National College, Chamarajpet, Karyasiddhi Anjaneya Temple to Nice Road Junction near Nayandahalli. The DPR has now been prepared accordingly and the DPR will be ready within eight weeks of the finalization of the tender.

Six Satellite Towns around the capital

Objective to reduce congestion in Bengaluru: Cabinet Decision

Six Satellite Towns around the capital

• 8,943 acres 35 guntes; Total area of ​​Bidadi integrated Satellite Town
• 6,023 acres 24 guntes; Cultivated area of ​​villages
• 101 acres 12 guntes; Area of ​​A Kharabu
• 2,818 acres 35 guntes; Area of ​​B Kharabu

Extent of Bidadi Satellite Town

Bidadi Hobli: Bairamangala, Bannigare, Hosur, K.G. Gollarapalya, Kanchugaranahalli, Aralalusandra, Kempayyanapalya, Kanchugaranahalli Kavalu, Mandalahalli.

Harohalli Hobli: Vaderahalli.

Where is the suburb?

Devanahalli, Nelamangala, Hoskote, Doddaballapura, Magadi, Bidadi

Objective: To develop attractive cities with sustainable infrastructure and create employment opportunities.

‘Work-Live-Play’ concept as per international standards

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The Cabinet has approved the development of six Satellite Towns around the city to reduce congestion in the capital Bengaluru.

Approval has been given under Section 15(1)(b) of the Karnataka Urban Development Authority Act 197 to implement the ‘Greater Bangalore Integrated Suburban Development Project’ under the ‘Greater Bangalore Development Authority’.

The government has given in-principle approval to start the preliminary processes for the implementation of the ‘Bidadi Integrated Satellite Town Development Project’ in Ramanagara district in the first phase of the ‘Greater Bangalore Integrated Suburban Development Project’.

It has been agreed to start the land acquisition process for the ‘Bidadi Integrated Satellite Town Development Project’ in 9 villages of Bidadi Hobli and one village of Harohalli Hobli. It has also been agreed to provide 35% to 50% developed land as compensation in lieu of the acquired land as per the Urban Development Authority and Karnataka Urban Development Authority Rules-2009.

Out of the 8,943 acres, 910 acres have been acquired by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). The land acquisition process should be started for the Bidadi Integrated Satellite Town in the remaining 8,032 acres. It has been suggested that the settlement, school-college, lake, cemetery and public purpose areas should be maintained as they are. 

A committee comprising competent authorities, departments and institutions should be constituted under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary for the implementation of the Integrated Satellite Towns Plan. The suburbs should be designed in accordance with international standards, in the Work-Live-Play concept, with road and rail connectivity. The Cabinet has approved that eligible institutions may be appointed for planning this.

Flyover work has increased the problems of the people

 Increase in traffic on Mysore Road, daily hardship for citizens, engineers who do not solve the problem

Flyover work has increased the problems of the people

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The flyover work that has been started to reduce traffic congestion and facilitate traffic on Mysore Road has not been completed even after years, and has only increased traffic congestion.

It has been four and a half years since the grade separator work began on the Outer Ring Road near the Mysore Road-Nice Junction. The grade separator work, which will allow signal-free traffic on the Outer Ring Road and free traffic towards Hosakerehalli Kodi Road and Girinagar, began in August 2020 and was supposed to be completed in 15 months. The work is still a year away.

The ‘Hosakerehalli Kerekodi Road Junction Grade Separator’ work, which has been started under the Chief Minister’s New Urban Development Grant, is being carried out by PJP Engineers. The grade separator work at the Hosakerehalli Kerekodi Road Junction, which is adjacent to the Nice Link Road, has resulted in no road connectivity to the surrounding areas. Residents of Hosakerehalli, Bangarappanagar, Mookambikenagar, Pramod Layout, Girinagar, Ganapathinagar, and Avalahalli areas have to travel half a kilometer on a one-way road around the barrier built around the grade separator work area, take a U-turn, and then travel another half kilometer.

‘The width of the remaining road has reduced due to the grade separator work, resulting in a situation where people have to wait for more than half an hour in the morning and evening. School vehicles, parents dropping their children to school, and office goers have to wait here due to the chaos, and there is a delay in reaching the specified destination,” complained locals Gopalrao, Jagadish, and Manjula.

Rusty Pillar: The ‘Signal Free Rotary’ work for signal-free traffic on Mysore Road and Rajarajeshwari Nagar began in July 2022. However, the work was stopped after the construction of four or five pillars. The work has not continued after the assembly elections. 

The pillars built years ago have rusted due to the stoppage of the ‘Signal Free Rotary’ work. The barrier wall has been removed indiscriminately, leaving the remaining road in a pothole and dusty. Since the green signal is given to vehicles plying on Mysore Road for a long time, those coming from Rajarajeshwari Nagar and those going towards Rajarajeshwari Nagar from Gnanabharathi have to stand in the air pollution and dust for a long time.

‘The ‘Signal Free Rotary’ work was supposed to be done for the convenience of the citizens. However, the work has been stalled for two years, which has only increased the inconvenience to the people. If you ask the engineers about this, they point their fingers at the people’s representatives. They do not have the patience to listen to the problems of the common people,’ complained Ramachandra of Halagevaderahalli.

‘Hosakerehalli Kerekodi Road Junction Grade Separator’

• ₹30 crore; Grade Separator Cost
• August 7, 2020; Work Order to Contractor
• 15 months; Deadline given for completion of work

Rajarajeshwari Nagar ‘Signal Free Rotary’

• ₹80 crore; Total cost of the project
• 1 July 2022; Date of issue of work order
• 24 months; Deadline given for completion of work
• Contractors; KBR Infratech, Sahakarinagar

DCM lashes out at Prahlad!

Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed his displeasure at a meeting of officials held on Tuesday over the delay in many works including the flyover in the BBMP area. Taking a dig at Principal Engineer B.S. Prahlad, who is responsible for the management of major works including the flyover, grade separator, white topping works, the DCM said, ‘Prahlad has increased work pressure. He also has many projects. Sources said that Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath was instructed to hand over the projects to someone else.

B.S. Prahlad did not respond when contacted for comment on the delay in the Hosakerehalli and Rajarajeshwari Nagar flyover works. Prahlad, who also holds the post of Chief Engineer of the Infrastructure Department, is responsible for seven flyover works that have been going on in the city for the past four to five years.

₹13 thousand crore for 16 Flyovers

 Proposal for construction of 16 elevated corridors; DPR of 10 works ready

  ₹13 thousand crore for 16 Flyovers

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: BBMP is ready to implement ₹16 elevated corridors (flyovers) at a cost of about ₹13 thousand crore proposed under the ‘Bengaluru Integrated Traffic Management Plan’.

On the instructions of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, the ‘Bengaluru Integrated Traffic Management Plan’ was formulated to control and smoothen traffic congestion in the city. Under it, the BBMP had prepared a feasibility report for the construction of 16 flyovers/underpasses, including tunnel roads and double-decker corridors. These projects will be announced in the next budget of the BBMP, for which all preparations have been made.

Delhi-based Altinoc had submitted the feasibility report to the BBMP in December. BBMP has invited tenders for preparing detailed project reports (DPRs) for 10 of the 16 elevated corridors. Bids can be submitted till February 6. In the remaining six overbridges, DPRs of some projects have been prepared earlier. Some changes will be made in them. Tenders will be invited soon for the preparation of DPRs for the remaining projects, said engineers from the BBMP infrastructure department.

Loan for tunnel road: The North-South and East-West tunnel road corridors require ₹40,000 crore, which is intended to be implemented under public-private partnership (PPP). The BBMP will get the required funds in the form of loans. Three institutions have come forward to provide a loan of ₹8,000 crore on the assets of the corporation. The engineers informed that tenders will be invited for the tunnel road after the government's approval.

16; Number of proposed elevated corridors/ flyovers

₹13,140 crore; Total construction cost of corridors

109.5 km; Total length of 16 elevated corridors

Wasteful!

‘Among the proposed elevated corridor projects, there is also the ‘Integrated Elevation’ project from Hudson Circle to Minerva Circle, which has been stalled for decades. However, white-topping work has also started on the same route. If a flyover is to be built, white-topping can be done after it is completed. If it is done now, it will be demolished and a flyover will be built, which will be a waste of money,’ complained Basavanagudi’s Satyanarayana.

Overbridges for which tenders have been invited for preparation of DPR

Project;Length (km);Cost (₹ in crores)

Split overbridge at MEI Junction;0.5;60

Overbridge: Yeshwanthpur – Mattikere Cross to IISC – Mekhri Circle – Jayamahal – St. John Church Road, Halsur Lake – Old Madras Road – KR. Pura;27;3,240

Flyover/Underpass: Kanakapura Road via Konanakunte Cross to Banashankari;0.9;108

Flyover: Adyar Ananda Bhavan, Raghuvanahalli, Kanakapura Road;0.8;96

Elevated Corridor: Marenahalli Main Road (Ragigudda to 7th Main Road Junction) to Kanakapura Main Road (Talaghatpur Nice Road via Pipeline Road); 10.5; 1,260

Elevated Corridor: Old Madras Road to Swami Vivekananda Metro Station on Hosur Road via Indiranagar, Dommalur – Silkboard Junction;10;1,200

Elevated Corridor: Nagawara Junction to Ramakrishna Hegde Nagar, Sampigehalli, Thirumenahalli, Bellahalli, Bagalur Main Road;15;1,800

Additional Link Road to Airport: Elevated Corridor from Outer Ring Road to Hennur Main Road Junction to Balaguru Junction;15,1,800

Elevated Corridor: Tannery Road to Madhava Mudaliar Road to Nagawara Junction;3.5;660

Elevated Corridor: Outer Ring Road from West of Cord Road to Pipeline Road (Nandini Layout);4.5;540

Proposed Flyovers

Integrated Elevation: Hudson Circle to Minerva Circle (Minerva Circle, Bharat Talkies, Shivaji Talkies, Town Hall, LIC, Halsur Police Station, Hudson Circle, Cubbon Park);2.7;324

Flyover Extension: Anand Rao Circle to K.R. Nrupatunga Road via Circle;1.7;204

Underpass Extension: From Madiwala Underpass to Traffic Police Station Junction;0.5;60

Elevated Corridor: Hosur Road to Shule Circle (Vellara Junction – Anepalya, Forum, St. John Church, Madiwala, Silk Board Junction);7.4;888

Elevated Corridor: From Sirsi Circle to Nayandahalli via Mysore Road;3.5;420

Elevated Corridor: Yelahanka Newtown to Kempegowda International Airport;4;480

CM order ignored: 60 retired engineers appointed to KPTCL

 Chief Minister, Chief Secretary orders overruled; posting to sanctioned posts

CM order ignored: 60 retired engineers appointed to KPTCL

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) has appointed 60 retired engineers, violating the orders of the Chief Minister and Chief Secretary.

CVL engineers who have retired from government service have been appointed as ‘Engineers on Duty (EOD)’ on ‘temporary basis’ in KPTCL corporate office and transmission sectors. The Director of Administration and Human Resources, KPTCL, issued an order in this regard on January 9.

The ‘EOD’ post has been created in three categories, and those born between 1957 and 1964 have been appointed, and they have been given the duties of Junior Engineer or Assistant Engineer. In addition, the responsibility of supervising and inspecting the civil engineering works of sub-stations has been entrusted.

‘The recruitment of retired employees is putting an additional burden on the exchequer. Also, the lack of quality of performance and accountability among retirees is also evident. Hence, retirees should be released from service in the departments,’ Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had instructed the Chief Secretary on January 9, 2024. Accordingly, the Chief Secretary had issued instructions to the Chief, Principal, and Secretaries of all departments on January 23, 2024, ordering, ‘Retirees should be released from service. They should be assigned to vacant posts.’

Even after these orders, KPTCL has not given importance to the recruitment process for vacant posts and has given the work of sanctioned posts to retired engineers.

‘As per the KPTCL recruitment rules, retirees cannot be recruited in any way. Also, they cannot be appointed to sanctioned posts on a contract/temporary basis. 60 retired engineers have been given the tasks of engineers in sanctioned posts, claiming them as ‘temporary basis’ in name only. Even though the retirees are already getting pensions of lakhs of rupees, they have been put on the spot. Even though the youth have applied and are waiting for appointment, the authorities are not paying attention. Also, their efficiency will not increase after retirement,’ complained Manmohan, a retired officer of KPTCL.

When tried to contact KPTCL Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey for a comment, he did not respond. KPTCL’s Director of Administration and Human Resources, B.P. Vijay, who approved the appointment of the retired engineer and also pays the salary, simply replied, ‘Ask the Technical Director’.

• 60; Total selection of retired civil engineers
• 48; EOD-1 grade – salary of ₹1 lakh per month
• 11; EOD-2 Grade – Salary ₹90 thousand per month
• 1; EOD-3 Grade – Salary ₹80 thousand per month

Where were retired engineers appointed?

• 2; SE (Civil), KPTCL Corporate Office
• 2; DGM (Civil), KPTCL Corporate Office
• 9; Transmission Zone, Bengaluru
• 10; Transmission Zone, Tumkur
• 8; Transmission Zone, Mysore
• 12; Transmission Zone, Hassan
• 9; Transmission Zone, Bagalkot
• 8; Transmission Zone, Kalaburagi

Property tax arrears: immovable property auction begins

 Property tax arrears: immovable property auction begins

Bengaluru: BBMP has started the process of urgent auction of properties that have been in arrears of property tax for a long time.

The defaulters did not pay the tax despite notices asking for reasons for delay in payment of property tax arrears, demand notices, property seizure, and sealing of non-residential properties. Therefore, the auction process has been started under Section 156 Sub-section 5 of the BBMP Act 2020, said BBMP Revenue Department Special Commissioner Munish Moudgil.

The property tax arrears due to the corporation will be fully recovered from the money received in the auction. The excess money will be deposited in the bank account of the property owners. One to two auctioneers have been identified from each zone of the corporation. He informed that a date has been fixed for the auction process of eight to ten properties and notices have been issued to the owners.

‘This is a start, this process is carried out every week. The arrears of commercial/industrial and residential properties with high property tax arrears will be recovered through the auction process. Two lakh properties in the BBMP area have not paid tax. The defaulters should not be allowed to take coercive action like auction, Munish has appealed.

Also read… property-vehicle-to-be-auctioned

Auction Notice

M. Rangappa, who owns a 44,933 sq ft building in 9090 sq ft in Chokkasandra, has arrears of property tax of ₹1.85 crore. M. Kumar, who owns a 12,080 sq ft building in 399 sq ft in HSR Layout, has to pay ₹31.94 lakh property tax. Shankare Gowda, who owns a 29,100 sq ft building in 6785 sq ft in Bagalgunte, has arrears of ₹30.99 lakh tax. Mohammad Ishaq, Mohammad Ayub, and Mohammad Shoaib, who own a 6,400 sq ft building on a 2,008 sq ft plot in Shantala Nagar, have a property tax of ₹11.22 lakh. The BBMP has issued notices to auction all four properties.

Encroachment not identified in 77 lakes

 District administration neglects survey, boundary marking work; High Court order ignored

Encroachment not identified in 77 lakes

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: Although the High Court issued three orders in 2023 to identify and clear encroachment of lakes under BBMP jurisdiction, the district administration has not completed the survey work. Although encroachment has been identified in some lakes, no ‘marking’ has been done at the site.

The Revenue Department should identify the encroachment of lakes and provide the BBMP with documents and recommendations that it can be cleared. The Executive Engineer of the Lakes Division of BBMP, approved by the government, should issue an encroachment clearance order and also carry out the clearance operation. But this work has not been expedited.

The High Court has directed the clearance of encroachment of lakes on July 21, August 1, and September 4, 2023. BBMP had also submitted an action plan for the clearance operation. If it had been implemented accordingly, it would have taken a year for all the encroachments on the lakes to be cleared. However, so far only 28 lakes have been cleared of encroachments. Since 29 lakes are encroached by government departments, BBMP officials have considered them to be ‘encroachment-free’.

Since 2023, the BBMP Chief Commissioner has been holding meetings and instructing the District Collector, Tahsildar, Land Survey, Revenue System and Land Records Department Commissioners to conduct a survey of the area of ​​the lakes and identify the encroachments and boundaries. However, the survey work is not being done.

BBMP Special Commissioner for Forest, Environment and Climate Change Management Preeti Gehlot, who has written a letter (VA/APAHAY/PR/2825) to the City District Collector on December 23, 2024, requesting the ‘encroachment survey work and demarcation of boundaries of lakes under BBMP jurisdiction’, has violated the previous meeting and the High Court instructions. She has also written a letter (VA/APAHAY/PR/2552) to the Commissioner of Land Survey Department, requesting to conduct a survey of the lakes.

A large number of lakes are encroached in Dakshina taluk, and to conduct their survey, she has written a separate letter (VA/APAHAY/PR/2826) to the Assistant Director of Land Records (Dakshina) of the City District, asking him to expedite the slow survey work. A report has to be submitted to the court, and in three letters, she has requested to complete the survey work and demarcation of encroachments as soon as possible. However, the survey work has not picked up speed.

‘Clearance is not possible without marking’

‘Even if the lakes are surveyed and the encroachment is identified on the map, it is not possible to clear them. Clearance operations can only be carried out after marking the place. Despite several requests for marking, no action has been taken,’ said BBMP engineers.

‘The survey work of almost all the lakes has been completed. BBMP should take all necessary steps,’ said Manjunath, Commissioner of the Department of Land Survey, Revenue System and Land Records. City Deputy Commissioner Jagadish did not respond to a call to comment on this.

202 Lakes under BBMP jurisdiction

19 Lakes that have been destroyed

183 Living lakes

105 Lakes surveyed with additional identification

62 Lakes pending encroachment identification

16 Lakes pending survey

29; Encroachment by government departments in lakes

92; Government and private encroachment in lakes

17; Private encroachment in lakes

28; Lakes free from encroachment

Lakes to be surveyed and identified as encroached

37; South Taluk

27; East Taluk

7; North Taluk

4; Yelahanka Taluk

1; Anekal Taluk

1; CTS Survey Department (Sanki Lake)

Lakes Survey done with Marking

South Taluk: Chowdeshwari Lake, Subedaranakere,Basapura Lake-2,Konappana Agrahara lake, Gubbalalu Lake, Kembathahalli lake, Yelenahalli Lake, Kammanahalli Lake (Meenakshi Lake), Gottigere, Basavanapura Lake, Subbarayana lake, Konankunte Lake, Arekere lake, Singasandra lake, Kodige Singasandra Lake,

Sarakki Lake, Haralukunte (somasundarapalaya lake) Busegowdana lake, Hosakerehalli lake, Jogi kere, Sompura Lake, Bheemana Katte,

Dubasipalya lake (Valagerahalli), Chikkabasthi lake, Lingadeeranahalli (handrahalli) Lake, Thalaghattapura Lake, Konasandra Lake,

Mylasandra (Sunnakallu palya) lake, Bayyapanapalya Kunte, Kenchanapura, Byrasandra lake / Chikkapete lake, Deepanjali lake,Gowdana Palya Lake, Mesthripalya lake & Nayandahalli lake.

Exemption from setback for residential buildings

Rules relaxing for two-storey houses: BBMP proposes to government

Exemption from setback for residential buildings

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has considered exempting residential buildings built on small plots within the city limits from the setback rules.

In plots measuring 20 feet x 30 feet to 30 feet x 40 feet, the area of ​​space to be left (setback) around the house will be reduced if a ground and two-storey residential building is built. 

When constructing a residential building on a plot with a width of 20 feet from the road side, a space of three feet (setback) should be left only in the front. In plots up to 30 feet, there is no need to leave space at the back of the building. When constructing a building on a plot of 30 feet to 40 feet, space will have to be left around it according to its size. The BBMP has submitted a proposal to the government to amend the zoning rules in this regard.

According to the current setback rules, a space of one meter (3.28 feet) should be left around the building in 20 feet x 30 feet plots. There should be a setback of 1.50 meters (5 feet) around in 30 feet x 40 feet plots. 

‘No matter how much we try, setback violations continue to occur in small plots. Most of the houses are built on such plots by poor people. When notices are issued to take action for the violation, they make various requests and there is pressure. There is no setback around thousands of houses already built in the city. Therefore, a proposal has been submitted to exempt residential buildings on small plots. Officials have been given the responsibility to ensure that no building is built in the city without a map and setback,’ said BBMP city planning department officials.

How much setback is proposed for which plot?

Width of plots;Setback

;Right;Left;Front;Back

Up to 7 meters;0 m;0 m;0.9 m;0 m

7 meters to 10 meters;0.9 m;0.9 m;0 m

More than 10 meters; 8%;8%;12%;8%

30 square meter plots are not allowed!

In the proposal submitted to the government, the BBMP has requested that permission be given to construct buildings on plots less than 30 square meters (323 square feet) in the city and that provision be made in the building bye-laws. It has also been requested to allow the concerned officials of the corporation to take action to prevent the construction of any kind of building on such plots.

No water, electricity if building plan is not available

 BBMP adopts Supreme Court directives: Bwssb, BESCOM also have responsibility 

CC, OC must for all buildings 

No water, electricity if building plan is not available

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: In the BBMP area, if there is no building plan approval and building commencement certificate (CC), electricity and water connection will no longer be available, even temporarily. Even if a building is being constructed in violation of the plan, water and electricity connection will be disconnected.

BBMP, which has implemented rules to be implemented on unauthorized buildings and buildings being constructed in violation of the plan as per the Supreme Court order, has directed the respective departments to disconnect electricity, water and sewerage connections for illegal constructions.

If a building is being constructed against the building plan, a notice should be issued on the spot. The circular issued by the Chief Commissioner has directed that the Zonal Commissioners should inform BESCOM and BWSSB and take action to temporarily or permanently disconnect the service connection.

If BESCOM or BWSSB has to provide temporary connection during or before the construction stage of a building, the departments should check the building plan and CC approved by the corporation. If there is a deficiency in the construction of the building and an order has been issued under Section 248(3) of the BBMP Act -2020, the electricity and water connection should be stopped immediately. In case of providing permanent connection, approval should be given only after checking the completion certificate or OCCUPANCY Certificate (OC) issued by the corporation. If the building is not completed within the period of the plan issued by the corporation, the temporary connection should be cancelled. The letter written to the Chairman of the BWSSB and the Managing Director of BESCOM explains that the temporary connection should be continued only after the plan period is renewed.

‘Even if the owner has issued the plan approval, OC, CC or plan approval renewal letter, their authenticity should be checked on the corporation’s website. BESCOM and Jal Mandal have been allowed to verify the certificates, and after verification, steps have been taken to register the approval online. This will avoid giving fake documents and getting electricity or water connection. Since everything is online, anyone can check it, informed Girish, Additional Director of Town Planning Department.

construction information in Online

After the building plan is approved, the owner should obtain a building commencement certificate (CC). After that, the local engineers of the urban planning department should check the construction process of the building every two months. Information about whether the construction is going on as per the approved plan, along with pictures, should be uploaded online. All this information will be available to the public on the BBMP website.

The engineer should conduct an inspection of the building construction in the first half of January, March, May, July, September and November. A report of its information should be submitted to the office of the Deputy Director of Urban Planning. The circular explains that if additional construction or violations are found even after obtaining the Occupancy Certificate (OC) after the construction of the building, the ward engineer should submit a report and take action as per the law.

E-Khata mandatory for PLAN

E-Khata will be mandatory for obtaining building plans in the BBMP area from April 1. Building plans will now be issued to those who have a ‘manual khata’. It will be discontinued after another two months.

‘It is mandatory to submit e-Khata while applying for building plans. With this, there is no need to submit other documents related to the property. Since property tax, purchase deed, location of the property (latitude, longitude), owner’s photo, Aadhaar are all entered in the e-Khata itself, all these documents will be available online. Only the documents related to the map need to be submitted,’ informed the officials of the Town Planning Department.

1584 buildings are unauthorized

A survey conducted by the corporation has revealed that 1584 buildings are being constructed illegally within the BBMP limits. The number of these is increasing every day, and notices are also being issued as per the law. Town planning officials said that water and electricity connections will be disconnected for these buildings from January 20.

777 buildings are being constructed in violation of the plan. 82 buildings have been sealed. 33 cases are in court. Six buildings have been vacated. Orders have been issued to vacate 177 buildings. They informed that notices have been issued for action against the remaining unauthorized buildings.

How many buildings are illegal and where?

Mahadevpur; 425

Yelahanka; 478

Dasarahalli; 181

East; 53

South; 9

West; 121

Bommanahalli; 120

Rajarajeshwari Nagar; 197

Build more floors: pay 50% fee for premium FAR

 Fees fixed as per guideline rates: Government notifies new rules

50% fee for premium FAR

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The government has notified draft rules to provide premium FAR up to 60% by paying 50% of the guideline rate of the site.

The bill, which was passed in the legislature, to allow the purchase and sale of ‘premium land area ratio’ (premium FAR), was sent to the Governor for approval. After asking many questions, the Governor sent the bill back to the government. Instead of answering them, the government framed new rules and the Urban Development Department issued a notification, giving the public one month to file objections.

It is proposed to amend Section 13-E of the ‘Karnataka Town and Country Plan – 2015’ and the zoning rules of the Revised Master Plan – 2015 have been changed for premium FAR.

Those who have constructed a building and those who are constructing it after the plan has been approved can obtain ‘Premium FAR’ and construct additional floors. The FAR has to be used in that building itself and cannot be transferred to anyone.

The builders of the building can obtain premium FARs from the local planning authority by paying a fee as per the guideline rate. Through this, they can construct additional floors over and above the FAR fixed for the size of the building site. Premium FAR is permitted only as per the zoning rules of the approved master plan of the competent authority granting permission for the construction of buildings.

Buildings with a road width of 9 meters to 12 meters will be given a premium FAR of 20 percent based on the built-up area. Buildings with a road width of 12 meters to 18 meters can get a maximum premium FAR of 40 percent and buildings with a road width of more than 18 meters can get a maximum premium FAR of 60 percent. The rules explain that along with the premium FAR, TDR can also be obtained.

Even if a premium FAR is obtained, only 40 percent more than the approved area of ​​the building can be built. The remaining area can be obtained as TDR, which is also allowed to be sold in the new rules.

Exemption from setback!

‘When a premium FAR is obtained, the height of the building increases. It is the owner’s duty to ensure that the building has the necessary structural design and strength. An exemption will be given from the setback that occurs when an additional floor is constructed after obtaining a premium FAR,’ said city planning officials.

The premium FAR system will not benefit buildings built on an area of ​​30 feet x 40 feet or 40 feet x 60 feet. 'Premium FAR' will be most useful for apartments built on very large areas.

BDA: 5 thousand acres of land for 6 layouts

BDA identifies land for creation of new layouts; Preparations for preliminary notification

BDA: 5 thousand acres of land for 6 layouts

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Development Authority intends to create six new layouts, for which it has identified about five thousand acres of land around the proposed Peripheral Ring Road-2.

The BDA has already decided to construct Peripheral Ring Road-2 (PRR-2) from Hosur Road to Bannerghatta Road, Kanakapura Road to Mysore Road. Land has been identified in the villages surrounding this road. Commencement notices are also being issued to some farmers, asking them to provide land records.

The Nadaprabhu Kempegowda layout has been constructed from Mysore Road to Magadi Road, and new layouts are planned to be constructed in the villages from Mysore Road to Hosur Road.

Since the villages adjacent to Kanakapura Road and Bannerghatta Road have good connectivity, most of the land has been identified in the villages there. Since priority has been given to villages adjacent to PRR-2, it is said that connectivity roads and commercial activities will also get more importance.

Most of the development activities have also taken place in the villages surrounding Kanakapura Road, Bannerghatta Road, and Hosur Road. Apart from all of them, the BDA has identified about five thousand acres of land.

Survey numbers of 10 villages have also been identified for six new layouts, and in addition, government land, drains, and lakes are included in the total land area identified.

This is a preliminary notification for the acquisition of 854 acres of land for the proposed PRR-2 road, and the final notification will be issued soon. PRR-2 is intended to be built 100 meters wide, which is being reduced and used for residential or commercial purposes.

‘Land has been identified for the construction project of six residential areas. The process is still in its initial stages and preparations are being made for the preliminary notification. No decision has been made yet on how compensation for land acquisition should be given. The 60:40 ratio adopted in Shivaramakaranta residential area is likely to be followed,’ informed BDA officials.

6; New residential areas proposed by BDA

10 villages: Scope of the proposed residential area

4,959 acres, 11 guntes; Land identified for a total of six residential areas

How much land is identified for which residential area and where?

LAYOUT 1; Margondanahalli; 136 acres, 10 guntes

LAYOUT 2; Hullahalli, Bingipura, Hulimangala, Bettadasanpura; 561 acres, 28 guntes

LAYOUT 3; Hullahalli, Bingipura, Hullahalli; 281 acres, 21 guntes

LAYOUT 4; Elenahalli, Mysalandra, Kammanahalli, Hommadevanahalli, Hullahalli, Begur; 518 acres, 29 guntes

LAYOUT 5; Gulakamale, Kaggalipur, O.B. Choodahalli, B.M. Kaval, Agar, Uttari; 2,391 acres, 14 guntes

LAYOUT 6; Kambipur, Gudimau, B.M. Kaval, Devagere, Gangasandra; 1,069 acres, 27 guntes

How many acres in which village?

• Kaggalipur; 759 acres, 33 guntes
• Agara; 625 acres, 6 guntes
• B.M. Kaval; 546 acres, 10 guntes
• Devagere; 416 acres, 18 guntes
• O.B. Choodahalli; 257 acres, 10 guntes
• Gulakamale; 242 acres, 10 guntes
• Gudimau; 185 acres, 32 guntes
• Uttari; 166 acres; 30 guntes
• Gangasandra; 150 acres, 3 guntes
• Kambipur; 109 acres, 3 guntes

58 villages; Peripheral Ring Road-2 area

854 acres; Total Land Acquisition

30 km; Length of PRR-2 Corridor

₹1,569 crore; Estimated cost of the Peripheral Ring Road-2 project

₹300 crore grant for forests cancelled

Blocks funds transfer order from Pollution Control Board to Forest department

₹300 crore grant for forests cancelled

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The order to transfer ₹300 crore grant from the State Pollution Control Board to the Forest Department has been cancelled.

On November 27, 2024, the Finance Department had given permission to the Forest Department to receive ₹300 crore grant from the State Pollution Control Board for the construction of ‘Elephant Barricades’ in various districts of the state to prevent afforestation and elephant infestation. The Pollution Control Board did not approve this. However, the Finance Department had informed the Principal Secretary of the Forest Department in an unofficial note by fixing the account title for transferring the money.

Also read …Pollution Control Board funds to prevent elephant menace

A special report on this was published in ‘Prajavani’ on December 3, 2024 under the title ‘₹426 crore for forests: Board blocked’. The issue was discussed in the State Pollution Control Board meeting, and members opposed the grant.

"It was suggested to transfer ₹150 crore for afforestation work and ₹150 crore for construction of elephant barricades. There is no need to give money to the Forest Department in the form of grants for these works," the Principal Secretary of the Forest Department wrote to the Member Secretary of the State Pollution Control Board on January 7, 2025.

No action even after the Revenue Minister's notice

 Illegal in Banaswadi: No action even after the Revenue Minister's notice

Reminder to Tahsildar to cancel the account

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Urban District has once again sent a reminder to the Tahsildar of the East Taluk, who has not cancelled the illegal account even after a year despite the Revenue Minister's notice.

'The steps taken to cancel the account and registration of the government land illegally made under the pressure of BJP leader M. Lakshminarayan should be informed immediately,' the Additional Deputy Commissioner of the Urban District has instructed the Tahsildar of the East Taluk on January 7, 2025.

Also read… BDA acquired site sold to Private

'Survey No. of Banaswadi village. M. Muniraju had filed a complaint with the Revenue Minister that the Krishnarajapura Sub-Registrar, East Tahsildar, had registered and maintained the government land of 261 under the pressure of Lakshminarayan, defying the instructions of the Sub-Divisional Officer of the North Sub-Division. Referring to that, the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department wrote a letter on December 11, 2023, he mentioned in the memoir.

Referring to the special report published in ‘Prajavani’ on December 8, 2023 under the title ‘Sale of BDA land to private individuals’, the Additional District Collector said, ‘There is an attempt to cover up the illegality behind the scenes. The petitioners have requested that the government land be saved, and action should be taken as per the rules and reported. The petitioners should also be informed about the action taken legally so far.’

BDA: Allotment of alternative site beyond rules

BDA: Allotment of alternative site beyond rules

Land used for BTM layout 4th Stage, Sites given in Kengeri And Mahalakshni Layout

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Within two months of issuing Absolute sale seeds for a corner plot of CA in Jayanagar 8th Block without auctioning it, the BDA, which has exceeded its own rules, has allotted three sites in previously created layouts in place of the land used.

Instead of the land used for the road in the BTM layout without land acquisition, three sites have been allotted in Kengeri Satellite and Mahalaxmi layouts without allocating sites in the same layout or the subsequent layout.

In the preliminary and final notifications issued for the construction of the Byrasandra-Tavarekere-Madiwala (BTM) layout, there was no 16 gunte land in Survey No. 62 of Bilekahalli village, Begur hobli, South Taluk. However, the BDA has used the land for the construction of the road. No compensation has been given. Therefore, the joint owner of the land, K. Devdas, had appealed to provide an alternative site.

Since the BDA did not respond to Devdas' requests, he had approached the High Court. As per the law, the High Court had ordered to provide an alternative site. BDA had also filed a ‘contempt of court’ case on August 13, 2024, as it did not comply with the court order of March 26, 2021. The court disposed of the case as the BDA had stated that ‘an alternative site is being provided’.

The government also gave permission to provide an alternative site in the ‘Land Compensation Committee Meeting’ consisting of the Land Acquisition Officer, Deputy Commissioner of Land Acquisition, Engineer Member, Chief Legal Officer and Secretary. Therefore, the committee approved the action as per the rules.

The road has been constructed as per the approved map without land acquisition, and as per the government order (Ne/442/Bebhuswa/2017– 9 October 2018), 50% of the developed sites per acre can be provided. Accordingly, for the fifteen and a half Gunte land, development plots measuring 4,641.86 square feet should be allotted to joint portfolio holders K. Krishnappa, K. Ramanna, Devadas, Munivenkatappa, K. Doreswamy. The committee had suggested allocating the plots in the same layout or the subsequent layout where the road has been constructed using the land.

Three plots registered in one day

Plots measuring 255.99 square meters (2,755 square feet) at plot number 1892 in Kengeri Suburban Layout, and 158.47 square meters (1,705 square feet) at plot number 1120 in the same layout have been issued to Devadas on September 2, 2024 as per the order of the BDA Commissioner. A plot measuring 27.877 sq m (300 sq ft) at No. 13 in Mahalaxmi Layout was registered on the same day by paying an additional amount.

The final notification of land acquisition for Kengeri Suburban Layout was issued on 3 July 1964 and the final notification for the extended layout was issued on 29 January 1965. The final notification for Mahalaxmi Layout was issued on 30 August 1979. The final notification for BTM Layout Phase 1 was issued in 1978. The final notification for land acquisition around Bilekahalli for Phase 4 of BTM Layout was issued on 3 November 1990. The BDA has used 16 guntas in Bilekahalli Survey No. 62 to construct the road in Phase 4. However, the final notification of 1978 is mentioned in the alternative site allocation resolution.

BDA violates Deputy Chief Minister’s directive

‘The acquired land should not be denotified for any reason. This matter should be brought to my attention through correspondence. If there are proposals to provide alternative sites, they should be brought to my attention before correspondence. It should be dealt with in accordance with the law,’ Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar directed the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department to the Commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority, Commissioner of BMRDA Mahanagara, Commissioner of Ramanagara Urban Development Authority on August 28, 2024. However, in this case, three alternative sites were registered by BDA officials in previously constructed layouts in September 2024.

I will check: BDA Commissioner Jayaram

‘The alternative sites should be provided in the same or subsequent layouts. I will look into this case,” BDA Commissioner Jayaram told.

‘Action as per the allotment order’

‘The final notification of land acquisition for the construction of the housing estate will not be considered for providing an alternative site. The alternative sites have been allocated as per the order issued for the sites available for allocation. Two sites in Kengeri Suburban as per the allotment order of 1986 (BDA/ADM/OA/PR/98/85–86), and one site in Mahalaxmi Layout as per the allotment order of March 1986 (BDA/ADM/OA/Allotment/T/86–87) have been allocated to Devdas and registered,’ informed a BDA Deputy Secretary on the instructions of the BDA Commissioner.

"The final notification for the fourth phase of land acquisition of BTM Layout was issued on November 3, 1990. This includes lands in the Bilekahalli area. Devdas' land was in this area. It was used for road construction. Therefore, as per the BDA rules and government orders, replacement sites should be allotted only in layouts formed after 1990. The final notification of land acquisition should be considered for allocating replacement sites and not the date of site allocation," said Kumar, who obtained information under the Right to Information Act.

"Though hundreds of people have been waiting for replacement sites for decades, they are being told to wait until a new layout is formed. However, some are being allotted sites in layouts that were formed earlier," he complained.

No Khata for unapproved property

 BBMP: Permission is mandatory for single plot; effective immediately

No Khata for unapproved property

Bengaluru: An order has been issued not to issue any kind of Khata for properties under BBMP jurisdiction if they are not approved by the competent planning authority.

Section 17 of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act, 1961 has been amended, making it mandatory to obtain approval from the planning authority for all properties, including single plots. BBMP will not be allowed to register or register any A-Khata for such unapproved properties, Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath has issued an order.

Under Section 95 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964 (KLR), ‘single plot’ within the BBMP area, where agricultural land was converted for non-agricultural purposes, was approved and a khata was issued. Now that the KTCP Act has been amended, BBMP will not issue a khata for properties that are not approved by the BDA or the Planning Authority. Also, even if a khata has already been obtained, it is not allowed to divide or sub-divide the khata.

Pending applications for khata cannot be disposed of at BBMP offices. All applications will be cancelled with immediate effect. Disciplinary action will be taken against the officers and employees who violate it, Tushar Girinath said in his circular dated January 7.

* BBMP will not divide or sub-divide the sites that have A or B khata, which are not approved by the competent planning authority. 

* Each unit in a single-unit or multi-unit building for which an Occupancy Certificate (OC) has been obtained with the approval of the competent planning authority will be recorded in A-book and A-Khata will be given.

* Single or multi-units constructed in properties having A or B-book without the approval of the competent planning authority, if they are connected by BESCOM or BWSSB by September 30, 2024, will be given B-book.

* If agricultural land is converted from agricultural to non-agricultural purposes, BBMP will not record a new ‘A’ or ‘B’ book/khata for that vacant land.

‘7 lakh property owners have not paid tax’

‘About seven lakh properties in BBMP area are not paying tax,’ said BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath.

‘The information on BESCOM and bwssb connections is not matching with our tax payment data. Also, the owners of two lakh properties with accounts are not paying taxes. All these will be investigated and action will be taken,' he told reporters.

Only commercial buildings that have not paid much property tax are being sealed. He said that they will be given time and action will be taken for auction as per the law.

Parks that retain 54 crore liters of rainwater

 26 crore liters of rainwater is being retained in BBMP; Percolation wells to be constructed in 1,500 parks by year-end

Parks that retain 54 crore liters of rainwater

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: BBMP, which has focused more on retaining rainwater and increasing groundwater, is further accelerating the work of Percolation of rainwater in parks. It has set a target of diverting 54 crore liters of rainwater from 26 crore liters by the end of this year.

BBMP had started the project to retain rainwater through Percolation wells in 2020 itself. ‘United Way Bangalore’ has implemented this project in the parks of the corporation through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Due to the construction of Percolation wells in parks, groundwater is increasing not only in the park but also in a two-km radius around it. The water level in borewells is increasing. The full benefits of the cisterns will be visible to everyone within three years of their construction.

Bengaluru receives an average of 970 millimeters of rainfall per year. 59 days are considered rainy days, of which each Percolation wells is fully filled for at least 30 days. The BBMP's horticulture department aims to trap and divert more rainwater if more Percolation wells are built.

BBMP has started the work of constructing Percolation wells in parks to divert rainwater since 2020. Initially, only a few hundred were built. The Percolation wells built then are now providing great benefits to the surrounding area. The project to construct cisterns has been accelerated from 2024.

‘The Percolation wells were constructed three years ago in ‘Forest Park’ in HBR Layout. At that time, the local residents expressed their concern that they were digging a hole in the park and destroying it. However, today they are all expressing happiness. There is always water in the borewell in the park. Not only that, the water level in the borewells of the residents in all four directions is also at the top. When they all come and congratulate us, our efforts feel worthwhile,” said Chandrashekhar, Deputy Director of the BBMP Horticulture Department, expressing happiness.

There are 1280 parks under the BBMP jurisdiction. It is not possible to build Percolation wells in all the parks. In a park that is at least half an acre in size, Percolation wells are built after examining the rainwater flow area and the drainage area. About 450 parks under the corporation jurisdiction will have cisterns by the end of the year. He informed that the BBMP has the objective of retaining as much rainwater as possible. 

‘A goal of storing 100 crore liters’

‘We are working through an NGO called ‘United Way of Bangalore’ to increase groundwater by storing rainwater in the city. We aim to bring a billion litres of water to Bengaluru through the ‘One Billion Drops’ project,” said Rajesh Krishnan, CEO of United Way of Bengaluru.

“We are collecting CSR funds from many corporates and constructing Percolation wells in the city’s parks. BBMP has approved our project and we are constructing Percolation wells in the parks where they have given permission. This work has gained momentum in the last year,” he said.

More water in the septic tanks of the parks

“The construction of cisterns in the parks of BBMP has increased the water in our borewells. In addition to increasing the groundwater level, the large trees and plants in the parks are getting the necessary moisture,” said Chandrashekhar, Deputy Director of Horticulture, BBMP.

‘The aim is to collect rainwater in the gardens and use it for the plants in the gardens. Since this is not possible in small gardens, our aim is to collect lakhs of litres of rainwater in large gardens. Since it is a CSR activity, there will be no financial burden on the corporation,’ he said.

• 2,607 Percolation wells; There are 178 gardens of BBMP
• 1,28,100 litres of water; Rainwater collected in the Percolation well per year
• 26,47,82,700 litres of water; Rainwater collected in 178 gardens per year
• 1,632 Percolation wells; Target to be constructed by the end of December 2025
• 54,30,15,900 litres of water; Rainwater collected in the Percolation wells next year

How many Percolation wells are there in which zone?

Zone; Garden; Pond

Yalahanka;51;356

South;32;884

East;10;137

East;1;33

Dasarahalli;12;75

Mahadevapura;9;123

Bommanahalli;58;849

Rajarajeshwari Nagar;5;150

1,632 Percolation wells; Target to be constructed by December 2025

370; South Zone

500; R.R. Nagar Zone

320; West Zone

153; Yelahanka Zone

309; East Zone

Percolation wells Information

4 feet; Perimeter of Percolation well

12 feet; Depth of Percolation well

4,270 liters; Capacity to hold rainwater at one time

1.28 lakh liters; A Percolation well absorbs rainwater at least 30 times a year

₹37 thousand; Cost of building a Percolation well

Initial step for Vrishabhavati river rejuvenation

 Comprehensive plan for sewage control in the valley in the first phase

Initial step for Vrishabhavati river rejuvenation

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: BBMP has taken the initial step to prepare a plan for the revitalization of Vrishabhavati river, just as it has taken steps to revive the Suvarnamukhi river, which flows out of sync with the city's outskirts.

When Shalini Rajneesh was the Development Commissioner, she had formed a committee comprising officials from all departments in May 2024 to revive the Suvarnamukhi river. P.C. Ray, Principal Secretary to the Government of the Forest, Habitat and Environment Department, was appointed as the nodal officer for the implementation of the 'Suvarnamukhi River Basin Revival Project'. While that project is being implemented, the government has instructed the BBMP to prepare a plan for the revitalization of the Vrishabhavati river in Bengaluru, which has been awaited for centuries.

In the wake of this instruction, a meeting of BBMP senior officers, engineers, water board, State Pollution Control Board officials, and District Collector's office officials was held on Saturday under the leadership of BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath. 

'The water in the lakes, whether developed or not, within the BBMP limits is not suitable for drinking or bathing. Even after treatment, it is not of drinking quality. All the lakes are in 'E' pollution level and are not suitable for any use,' the report presented in detail stated in the meeting. 

Although potable water has been made to flow in the Vrishabhavati river or valley, the main objective of the project is to manage it so that groundwater is not polluted by flowing unpolluted water. In this regard, the responsibility has been given to the officers who will prepare a comprehensive report in every possible way in another month. 

If the Vrishabhavati valley is to be free from pollution, the operation of the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board is of utmost importance. Therefore, the Water Board has been instructed to submit a comprehensive report to make the Vrishabhavati River pollution-free. 

Out of 56 lakes, 14 lakes have been destroyed!

Vrishabhavati, Koramangala-Challaghatta, Hebbal and Arkavati valleys are located in the city. Out of the four valleys, Vrishabhavati valley has 32% coverage. It has been recorded in the preliminary report of the ‘Vrishabhavati River Revitalization Project’ that there are 56 lakes in this valley area as per the old land records.

14 lakes including Shivanahalli, Saneguruvanahalli, Shivanahalli are currently leveled in the Vrishabhavati valley area. Although 42 lakes with water have been identified, the survey information of Palace Maidan Lake, Kempambudhi Lake, Basavappanakatte, Srigandhada Kavalu, Varahasandra Lakes is not included in the report. 

The report states that there is no water in the lakes of Pillappanahalli, Nagarabhavi, Kenchenahalli, Hosakerehalli, Yediyur, Gowdanapalya, Bikasipura, Gubbalalu, Mailasandra, Byapanapalya Kunte. Many of these lakes have been developed by the BBMP. However, the survey records are not available due to the negligence of the Revenue Department. 

Vrishabhavati River/Valley Information

• 39.53 km; River flow in BBMP area
• 326 canals; Number of valleys in the municipality
• 327 km; Total length of valleys in BBMP area
• 42 lakes; Valleys in the municipality area
• 192.70 sq km; River area in BBMP area
• 19.8 km; River flow from BBMP to Bairamangala reservoir

Vrishabhavati valley flow

• 14.04 km; Sankey Lake to Bangalore University
• 58.88 sq km; Catchment area
• 14.04 km; Goragunte Palya (Peenya Metro Station) to Bangalore University
• 32.85 sq km; Catchment area
• 11.45 km; Bangalore University to Kengeri (Nice Road)
• 160 sq km; Catchment area

Instruction to formulate a comprehensive plan

‘The corporation, water board, pollution control board and water board officials have been instructed to formulate a comprehensive plan to prevent sewage from entering the Vrishabhavati valley and polluting it,’ said BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath.

‘The places where sewage is coming into the Vrishabhavati Valley should be checked and listed. Also, it should be checked how many apartments are near the river and how much sewage is coming directly into the river. It has also been suggested to check the functioning of sewage treatment plants (STPs),’ he said.

‘The water board has been asked to provide information on how many STPs are functioning. In addition to information on how many new STPs are needed, it has been asked to provide information on where steps have been taken to ensure that sewage goes to the STPs through pipes,’ he said.

‘There are 42 lakes adjacent to the Vrishabhavati Valley, and the encroachment in them has been surveyed and orders have been obtained from the District Collector to remove the encroachment,’ he said.

Fencing should be installed where necessary to prevent garbage from being thrown into the Vrishabhavati Valley. He said that the officials have been told to dredge it using JCBs.

Property, vehicle to be auctioned if tax is not paid

 Target of collecting ₹900 crore in three months; Operation as per late

Property, vehicle to be auctioned if tax is not paid

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: In addition to imposing fines on property tax defaulters, BBMP has decided to sell or auction immovable and movable properties if tax is not paid within the notice period. 

There are still three months left to achieve the target of property tax collection for the current financial year, and about ₹900 crore has to be paid. For this, the corporation has decided to launch a ‘special campaign’ and implement all the powers it has under the law. BBMP has achieved 82.90 percent of its target for the current financial year, which has created a record.

‘Notices will first be issued to those who have not paid property tax. If payment is not made within that period, it will be sealed and another deadline will be given. If it exceeds that, legal action will be taken to confiscate and auction the property,” Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had said at the end of the One Time Relief Scheme (OTS). It is now being implemented.

Notices have been issued to defaulters since December 3 after the end of the OTS scheme. The BBMP revenue department staff, who will conduct a ‘special campaign’ in January, will take further action to collect property tax from defaulters. The lockdown will be imposed from January 6. If they do not comply, the property will be confiscated. The BBMP has decided to sell or auction movable and immovable properties, including vehicles, if the tax is not paid in the next 15 days. BBMP revenue department officials said that by taking all these measures, the target is to collect property tax from all defaulters by the end of March.

A lot of time has been given for payment of property tax. The operation will be carried out as per the law

Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner, Revenue Department, BBMP

₹5,210.48 crore; Total property tax collection target for 2024-25

₹4,319.70 crore; Collection till December 31

82.90%; Percentage collection till December 31

33.05%; Increase in 2024-25 over 2023-24 (till Dec. 31)

₹890.78 crore; Outstanding in the current financial year