Bengaluru: Residents fume as BBMP team damages lawn, razes fence

BENGALURU: Residents of an apartment complex in Padmanabhnagar, south Bengaluru, were left furious after an encroachment removal team from BBMP razed the protective fence and wall of a nearby lawn on Tuesday morning. Some of portions of the lawn were reportedly damaged in the process.
The residents had beautified this strip, right outside ACS Meghana Shalini Apartments, with great effort, spending about Rs 7 lakh, apart from Rs 10,000 on monthly maintenance.
BBMP claimed the lawn encroached on the area of a stormwater drain and pavement, and it had received complaints from some pedestrians. But the residents said the lawn was developed after permission from the civic body and denied they had violated any norm.
“I was shocked when our complex’s security guard informed me that BBMP officials had come to remove the fencing. Police personnel had accompanied the workers,” said Krishnamurthy PR, the society’s secretary. “We have the necessary permission for the lawn and its maintenance from BBMP. We have spent around Rs 7 lakh to lay the lawn and it takes around Rs 10,000 a month to keep it in a good condition.”
Murthy sought the intervention of Kumara Swamy Layout corporator L Srinivas, but the latter expressed helplessness, saying there was a court order.
“But we haven’t received a single notice from the court. The demolition work stopped after more residents came down and started questioning the intention behind the move,” Muthy said.
Sidhartha Shetty, a resident, the strip was spruced up to discourage people from dumping garbage there. “The fencing and the concrete wall came up over 10 years ago. We don’t understand what made BBMP to act in this manner now,” he said.
Kalleshappa, executive engineer, Padmanabhnagar sub-division, said Tuesday’s action was part of BBMP’s encroachment removal drive undertaken from Kadirenahalli underpass to Devegowda Petrol Bunk Circle.
Ward engineer Prakash said the drive was conducted after several complaints from locals. “The apartment complex encroached upon the stormwater drain by covering it and converting the area into a lawn,” he said. “Members of the apartment association failed to provide any permission letter for the lawn.”