The flooding of the Bengaluru-Mysuru national highway (NH 275) has once again highlighted the encroachment of storm water drains (SWD), the lawlessness spearheaded by Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) which has built high-rises on the drains in Kaniminike despite a warning by environmental authorities.
Documents from the Revenue Department show a wide network of drains in Survey Number 95 of Kaniminike Village which allowed smooth flow of runoff water in the surrounding areas from lands in the western portion of the highway, including the Kumbalgodu state forest, into two tanks in the eastern downstream. The tanks in turn drained the excess water into the Vrishabhavathi River.
When the BDA sought environmental clearance for the Kaniminike project, where it sought to build about 1,000 flats, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) had initially rejected the proposal.
“We not only rejected the proposal but also inspected the site and told the BDA what would happen. At that time, the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) strict rules on the buffer zone helped us. Despite the revenue document’s notings, the BDA argued that the drains were informal networks formed in a gomala land. Ultimately, the project got clearance because the state-level expert committee endorsed it,” an expert who dealt with the case as a member of the SEIAA told DH.
Historical maps from Google Earth show that the BDA started developing the area in 2013. Four of the BDA’s 22 towers sit atop the drain network.
Two other towers partially encroach the downstream nala while the entire area has been flattened over the years to make way for more development works.
“Flooding of the surrounding area would be the natural result when drains are blocked. We can expect such episodes to recur when heavy rain occurs in a short period of time,” the expert added.
The BDA’s presence in the area has led to the development of hundreds of layouts in the surrounding area, with agricultural lands disappearing every day.
DH reached out to BDA officials for a response. A senior engineer reiterated that the drains were informal networks. “It was a kharab land which we developed into a residential plot. All the issues have been discussed and brought to the notice of the authorities before getting the approval. There is only one tank in the downstream and it has been restored,” he said.
Senior IAS officer Kumar Naik, who has been given concurrent charge of the BDA, could not be reached.