Judicious violation in judicial layout

BANGALORE: The officials of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) often get directions from courts to ensure that storm water drains are free from encroachments. On many occasions, the courts have taken the BBMP officials to task for their lethargy in clearing encroachments.However, Judicial Layout has set an example of how norms can be violated without any hassles. One can find a servant’s quarters built on a storm water drain (SWD). When The New Indian Express visited the layout on Saturday morning, it found two violations -  a resident had constructed servant’s quarters by encroaching on the storm water drain and another resident was found encroaching the storm water drain by constructing a compound wall. Also, there is a change of storm water drain’s course itself on the First Cross of the layout. There are many residents who have encroached on the pavements by converting them into gardens and others converting their homes into commercial establishments. Some vacant sites, here, have become tennis courts too. The Express team found that a resident had engaged workers to demolish the structure in the evening.Another resident, who has  constructed a compound on the SWD questioned, “I do not think it is a storm water drain at the first place.  According to me, it is a one-and-half feet width drain that connects to the other side where a park is situated. I will have no problem to remove the compound wall but my question is, when a retired Judge has demolished a servant’s quarters built on an encroached land, why are you making an issue out of it now?” the official retorted . “When legal authorities, who are supposed to be a role models for others in the Judicial Layout, violate the norms by encroaching the storm water drain, what right does the BBMP  have to enforce building norms at this layout?” questioned a resident.  However, BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah promised to clear all encroachments on the storm water drain after consulting the authorities concerned. “I will visit the Judicial Layout along with BBMP officials shortly,” Siddaiah said.On Monday evening when Express returned to check if there was any improvement on the encroached land, it was found  that residents had appointed workers to clear the encroachments.