Online campaign against lake buffer violation bears fruit

By Y. Maheswara Reddy | NT

Bengaluru: Here is good news for citizens who use social media to draw Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities’ attention towards infrastructure-related problems in the city.

Generally, the BBMP authorities are known to show scant regards to complaints submitted personally at their respective official chambers. They are also notorious for ‘closing’ online complaints even without attending them.

However, BBMP Mahadevapura Zonal Commissioner Trilok Chandra has decided to take cognisance of an online campaign – Save Pattandur Agrahara Lake - launched by Namma Whitefield Residential Welfare Association president Sandeep Anirudhan.

They are opposing the construction of a road on the buffer zone of Pattandur Agrahara Lake.

It is learnt that Mahadevapura Zonal Commissioner wrote a letter along with the copy of the complaint submitted by Sandeep Anirudhan to Joint Commissioner and Chief Engineer of Mahadevapura Zone on March 25, directing them to go through the complaint and other documents and give a report to the complainant and send the compliance report to him.

“You have not sent any report till date to this office. Meanwhile, titles such as ‘The evidence is overwhelming – The Road is Illegal’, ‘All that’s required is action’,

‘Who will bell the cat?, The BBMP Chief Commissioner? Or the Mahadevapura Zonal Commissioner? Or the Police Commissioner?’ are viral on social media (Twitter and Facebook). It is causing embarrassment and there are chances of getting chided by the court,” said Mahadevapura Zonal Commissioner stated in the letter.

He has directed both – Joint Commissioner and Chief Engineer – to inspect the spot jointly and take action immediately and submit a detailed report on the action taken on or before April27.

“If you fail to do so, both of you will be held responsible,” the Zonal Commissioner said.

Meanwhile, Sandeep Anirudhan, president, Namma Whitefield RWA Federation, has said that residents are totally upset by the lawlessness of the BBMP Road Infrastructure Divison (Major Roads Division), and also by the lack of action by the Zone officials, who are supposed to protect the lake and rajakaluve buffer zones. “All the evidence required is in the public domain, all they need is to act, instead they are all sending letters and notices to each other, while the BBMP Road Infrastructure Division cocks a snook at all of them and ignores all the notices and continues to violate.

Why can’t the Zone officials use the police and impose a barricade and stop the work?,” asks Sandeep Anirudhan.

He said the BBMP authorities have so many notices now to choose from and it is a criminal negligence, and contempt of various court orders and the laws.

“This lack of enforcement needs to be investigated and the negligent or corrupt officials should be sacked and punished,” he said.

Sandhya Prakash, a resident, said that lakes and lake buffer zones are precious resources which need to be preserved and illegal encroachments and road constructions must strictly be disallowed by all stakeholders, including citizens, private developers and the gover nment agencies.

“The Pattandur Agrahara lake buffer zone was a thriving home for water birds and biodiversity. A road cutting through a lake buffer zone will completely destroy the natural resources and it is illegal,” said Sandhya Prakash.