Bengaluru floods: Bulldozers out in India's IT capital, Bommai govt warns 'all illegal structures' to be demolished

Bengaluru civic body has intensified its anti-encroachment drive and has smashed illegal structures that prevented water flow and led to flooding in certain areas recently due to torrential rains.

Several areas of Bengaluru, the country's IT capital, witnessed huge losses due to torrential rains that threw life out of gear and prompted a public debate about gradual encroachments as the cause of flooding.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) launched its demolition drive on Monday and has identified various places, which were reportedly choking the flow of rainwater.

The massive flooding in parts of Bengaluru, particularly the information technology corridor and arterial roads, was blamed on such encroachments.

A BBMP official involved in the anti-encroachment drive said that the government has given a go-ahead and there is no question of sparing anyone, however "powerful" they may be.

Some residents, however, have alleged that only poor people are targeted whereas the stormwater drains encroached by the "high and mighty" in the posh layouts and major IT parks have been spared.

Amid allegations of the "high and mighty" being spared of the demolition drive, the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government claimed that no favouritism will be shown and asserted that all illegal structures will be brought down.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has recently said that he has given instructions to the concerned officials to stand with the BBMP and provide them documents, without looking at big people, small people and so on, and "unsparingly" demolish illegal structures.

As per reports, several rivers in Karnataka are again in spate following heavy rains in their catchment areas as well as the upstream in neighbouring Maharashtra. 

Krishna, Bhadra, Tunga, Bhima, Ghataprabha, Malaprabha, Markandeya Hiranyakeshi and several other small rivers and rivulets are reportedly "swollen and flowing dangerously".

(With agency inputs. Pictures taken from IANS, PTI)