Cracking the whip

BENGALURU: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Saturday demolished around 400 houses at Kariyammana Agrahara near Bellandur by terming the settlement as an 'encroachment.'

Around 1,500 people were rendered homeless as earth digging equipment moved in and razed tin-roofed houses to the ground. There was tension in the area for some time as the residents protested stating that they had been staying in the area for over eight years and no prior notices were issued by the civic agency about the demolition. Many of the residents worked as maids, drivers, waste pickers and security guards and hailed from Uttar Pradesh, Assam and West Bengal.

"They should have told us in advance about the demolition drive, but they did not. They just threw everything out of the house, demolished it and went away. Where do we take refuge in this cold?" the residents asked. The homeless included school-going children and senior citizens.

BBMP officials maintained that the settlement was in the proximity of the lake and was a violation of the buffer zone regulations. "We have been reprimanded by the court for not cracking down against buffer zone violations. We are doing our duty. Moreover, the rains are likely to intensify and we don not want encroachments to flood the locality," an official said.



In Video: Bengaluru: BBMP demolishes 400 houses near Bellandur, residents cry foul