The Karnataka government's large-scale demolition drive against encroachments in Bengaluru has reached the doorsteps of a war hero. Slain Lt. Col. Niranjan's home in the Doddabommanahalli area in Yelahanka zone has been marked for demolition by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) officials.
According to reports, Niranjan's house, which has encroached upon 5 feet of the drain area, will be demolished by the BBMP task force along with other properties in Yelahanka zone.
A portion of the duplex house sits on the storm water drain which is a room built for Niranjan at the time of his wedding, said reports.
Niranjan's family is ready to cooperate with the authorities and demolish the illegal portion by themselves. They pleaded with the officials that using an excavator for the job will affect the entire house and sought 15 days' time. However, officials were not ready to make an exception for Niranjan's family.
Lt. Col. Niranjan attained martyrdom while disarming a grenade during the mop-up operations at the Pathankot airbase, which came under a terrorist attack in January.
Niranjan's house is one among over 1,800 properties that have been identified to have encroached upon lake beds or storm water drains in the city. So far, about 60 houses have been demolished since Wednesday.
About 800 properties have been razed in earlier drives in last five years.
"Criminal cases will be filed against officials, who were responsible for illegal structures," BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad, who is overseeing the demolition operations, told the media.
The anti-lake encroachment drives in various parts of the city, in order to resurrect the storm water drains, have come days after the city came to a standstill due to heavy monsoon showers.
