BBMP scampers to save face after Babusapalya building collapse tragedy exposes illegal buildings menace in Bengaluru

Demolition of Unauthorised Buildings

Following the tragedy, a demolition of an under-construction crushed + 5-storey building, located astatine the Horamavu country of Mahadevapura Zone, is presently underway.

The gathering is owned by 1 Puttappa, covers an country of 10 X 25 feet and has developed cracks. Following the orders of Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, a thrust has been initiated successful the Mahadevapura Zone to place and demolish unauthorised buildings successful the area.

In Islampur of HAL Ward, a crushed + 1-storey gathering owned by Sriram has been marked for demolition. The gathering is aged and successful a dilapidated condition. An earthmover is being utilized for the demolition process aft the materials from the location were removed.

The BBMP volition besides statesman a survey of each under-construction buildings, some backstage and public, connected Monday. The BBMP volition photograph and video grounds each gathering to observe amerciable constructions, with associated commissioners overseeing done drone surveillance.

Shivakumar has besides ordered the Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and the Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force.

(BMTF) to instrumentality enactment successful Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, and Ramanagara districts to halt amerciable constructions.

“The authorities has afloat authorization to instrumentality power of immoderate spot during specified crises, with amendments and enforcement orders empowering agencies similar BBMP, BDA, BMRDA, and BMTF. Although these powers were revoked successful 2020-21, they would present beryllium reinstated, and amerciable constructions and encroachments successful some authorities and backstage layouts would beryllium stopped. The Home Secretary has been directed to draught an ordinance granting afloat authorization to officials, to beryllium discussed successful the adjacent Cabinet meeting,” said Shivakumar.

BJP MP seeks autarkic investigation

In effect to the incident, Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya issued a missive to BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, urging the contiguous enactment of an Independent Investigation Committee to probe amerciable operation activities and corruption wrong the civic body.

Surya stressed the request for swift action, fixed the expanding fig of unauthorised buildings crossed the city. “The illness highlights a superior lapse successful enforcement of gathering regulations, which indispensable beryllium addressed without delay. BBMP officials indispensable guarantee that laws are not conscionable enforced successful spirit, but besides done strict action,” the missive stated.

In fact, Surya’s missive besides emphasizes that nether the 2023 BBMP circular, officials are obligated to instrumentality decisive action, including sealing sites, filing FIRs, and utilizing authorities resources to forestall further construction.

117-day timeline to demolish amerciable construction

Activists and national groups constituent retired that the BBMP’s inaction and to beryllium implicit its ain orders that telephone for enactment against amerciable constructions yet led to the Babusapalya tragedy.

For example, a circular issued by BBMP successful July 2023 intelligibly states that determination is simply a elaborate 117-day timeline to demolish immoderate amerciable oregon unauthorized construction. More importantly, it besides highlights that Junior Engineer/Assistant Engineering/Assistant Executive Engineer/Executive Engineer/Chief Engineer of each ward/sub-division/zone volition show each constructions successful the ward and disallow immoderate operation that is illegal. It besides mentions that nonaccomplishment to forestall amerciable constructions volition invitation disciplinary enactment against the officials.

Further, 2 caller circulars person besides been issued connected October 18 to further clarify that the zonal commissioner volition beryllium wholly liable for the enforcement enactment against amerciable buildings and their demolition.

In fact, Surya successful his missive besides mentions that successful February 2024, the Karnataka High Court issued circumstantial guidelines to the BBMP to forestall specified amerciable constructions, yet these guidelines look to person been disregarded.

Building bye laws request to beryllium followed passim construction

As per the authorities bye laws, a nationalist show of program support and different mandatory operation sites anterior to the commencement of operation is important. Information specified arsenic sanction and code of the applicant, details of the gathering license, fig of gathering blocks, fig of basement floors, details of full level country eligible and proposed, details of parking, among others are mandatory to beryllium displayed extracurricular the operation site.

The owner/contractor should also, during the construction, show a transcript of the gathering licence and sanctioned plans of the spot successful a conspicuous spot of the licensed premises, according to the rules. The violations of the aforesaid tin pull enactment against the owner/contractor by the civic authorities.

Suspension of 2 engineers

Following the Babusapalya tragedy, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Vinay K and Executive Engineer Ramesh who were liable for overseeing the country successful Ward-25 (New Ward-86) wherever the amerciable gathering was nether construction, person been suspended for dereliction of duty.

As per preliminary investigation, they had earlier issued a stabilization bid for the gathering nether Rule 248 (3) of the BBMP Act, 2020, aft identifying that parts of the operation were being built successful usurpation of the gathering by-laws.

However, it was recovered that nary consequent actions were taken to wide the amerciable portions of the building. Despite the order, operation continued unchecked, and connected October 22, the gathering collapsed, sidesplitting 8 workers. The Zonal Commissioner of the Mahadevapura Zone confirmed successful a study that the nonaccomplishment to enactment upon the violations straight contributed to the tragedy. As a result, some engineers basal suspended pending a departmental inquiry, the BBMP said.