An encroachment clearance operation was conducted at the Kaggadasapura lake yard in CV Raman Nagar by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Thursday, August 12. In the operation, a total of 22 guntas were cleared out of two acres 0.8 guntas of encroached land. In a statement, the BBMP said that one acre and five gunta land was being cleared from Thursday onwards.

However, clearance of all the encroachment was not conducted as several property owners had brought a stay order including Aishwarya Lake view residency apartment, Mathapathi Meridian Apartment and five other houses. The demolition of the Muneshwara temple was also pending.

According to the BBMP, clearance of the house of the priest of Jalakanteshwara Temple was also pending as the local residents have informed them that the clearance or displacement of his house might hurt the religious feelings of the people.

The move came after the Karnataka High Court had passed an interim order earlier in March based on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). As a part of the clearance operation, several properties were demolished including the compound wall of Sai Football Academy, a shed, compound wall of the garden view apartment and partial demolition of five houses of the Rock Builder apartment.

The encroachment operation at Kaggadasapura Lake Road, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Building, BBMP Dry Waste Storing Centre and asphalted road will be conducted after providing alternatives in order to not cause inconvenience to the public, the statement said.

The Kaggadasapura lake will be redeveloped under the Chief Minister’s Nagarothana scheme which includes three rainwater canals from the north and west sides of the lake, removing sludge in the lake, while silt trap construction work, excavating sludge in the lake, sluice construction, strengthening the lake bank, pedestrian track work, laying down of slabs on the slope of the bank, according to the BBMP.