Bengaluru: While going on a demolition drive, BBMP officials razed down around 60 buildings at Doddabommasandra near Vidyaranyapura in Bengaluru North, which according to the officials had encroached the storm water drains. The demolition was carried out, but without giving any heed to hardships the affected families would face, including a woman facing the problem of attending nature’s call.

Gangamma, an octogenarian, who used to reside with her daughter in her house, has to now depend on her generous neighbours even to attend nature’s call, since the BBMP authorities demolished the only toilet along with the major portion of the asbestos structure.

“The BBMP officials were prompt enough to raze my house, but before doing that they did not think of the hardships my family would face. Among all the problems, each day, especially in the mornings I have to go out to attend the nature’s call – a disgusting and an embarassing moment for any woman,” Gangamma said.

Gangamma further said, “I have been paying property tax to the BBMP authorities. They never intimated me about the existence of the storm water drain. For that matter, we never come across our homes flooding with rainwater during the monsoon. Now, I have no other option than taking shelter at my son’s one bedroom hall and kitchen dwelling that is also covered with asbestos sheets.”

She did not know about the existence of a storm water drain adjacent to her house till Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) authorities swooped on her residence and other buildings with men and JCBs on August 9. Gangamma, who lost her husband Munivenkatappa, a tailor, five years ago, never expected to lose her dream home that was constructed by her husband with hard-earned money more than 40 years ago.

According to her, neither the BBMP authorities nor the elected representative visited her. She even doesn’t know about the chief minister’s recent announcement of government mulling to consider the proposal to accommodate the poor, who lost shelter, at apartments constructed by the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). “No one has come here to collect the details from me. My son is not in a position to raise funds to reconstruct the demolished portion since he is finding it difficult to make both ends meet. He is an auto rickshaw driver,” says Gangamma.

Venkatesh S, a businessman who lost two buildings, is the most disappointed person at Dodda Bommasandra. “The BBMP authorities demolished the buildings with much enthusiasm, but they never bothered about the amenities of the people on this road. Earlier the storm water drain was covered with stone slabs. The BBMP authorities have removed the stone slabs during the demolition drive. Now many families are suffering due to the open storm water drain. It is almost a month, but the BBMP authorities did not bother to cover the storm water drain with stone slabs to enable the residents to reach Vidyaranyapura Main Road,’’ Venkatesh said.

Constructed new pillar

The parents of Pathankot martyr Col Niranjan EK had constructed a new pillar to support the structure if the BBMP goes ahead with the demolition drive. Earlier, the BBMP authorities marked the pillar of the building for demolition. “The BBMP Commissioner told us no damage would be done to our home, but we do not want to take any chance. So, we have constructed a new pillar to support the building. We will lose more than five feet of land if the BBMP goes ahead with the demolition drive,’’ said Radha Shivarajan, the mother of late Col Niranjan.

The family members of Col Niranjan Kumar, who have been living in the house for over 15 years, were upset when the BBMP wanted an arch (pillar) of the house to be demolished. Niranjan Kumar’s brother Shashank did not want JCBs drilling into the house and appealed to the BBMP Commissioner to avoid demolition of the building. “I was at Kalarikkal in Palakkad district overseeing the construction of the memorial for my martyr son. I was shocked when we are informed about the demolition drive. I came to Bengaluru and contacted a civil engineer to construct a pillar to support the building in case of BBMP demolishing the existing pillar,’’ says Shivarajan E K, the father of late Col Niranjan.