A mail from Mr.Ramani.
The Government seem to have a serious concern regarding the violations and deviations, which has an adverse impact on the planned development is developing a cold feet to regularise the illegal layouts and unauthorised constructions, even by levying penalty. There is a section of the polity, recommending that such properties may be branded and a cess may be levied, payable regularly till it gets regularised. It is also found that there are over 26 lakh properties located within the jurisdiction of BBMP and municipal taxes and other levies are being paid only by 15 lakh property owners and over 40% of the owners have evaded paying the taxes and enjoying the infrastructure and other facilities at the cost of the other hones tax paying citizens.
Deviations and Violations have another disastrous effect on the planning and is a self inflicted injury by the society itself and there is no cure or solution as long as the society does not mend its ways or behave in an orderly manner.
The infrastructure provided by the municipal authorities in any civic society is thrown to dust by illegal unplanned development, deviation and violation. The municipal authorities develop the roads, foot path, underground sewage and provide water and electricity supply on the basis of the plans (building plan, site plan and layout plan) submitted(official) by the applicants in that area/zone, but when there is misrepresentation of facts, documents and plans, or buildings or layouts developed or constructed in contravention to the sanctioned plans/approvals the infrastructure provided remained deficient.
To cite an example, in an BDA/BMRDA approved layout, the authorities plan to provide, power and water to the residents on the basis of the approved plans, hence, the planning authority seeks NOC from electricity supplying companies, Water supplying companies and details regarding the disposal of the sewage and garbage. To a certain extent, all the requirements of the citizens are planned and industrial and commercial units are not permitted in these zones, hence, the roads laid will be good for the normal travel and last for sometimes. In the same scenario, DC Converted layouts, there is NO NOC OR ASSURANCE FROM THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLYING COMPANIES NOR THERE IS ANY ASSURANCE OF WATER SUPPLY FROM BWSSB, CFE FROM POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD AND NO GOOD ROAD CAN BE LAID, LEADING TO CHAOS. THESE ILLEGAL AND UNAUTHORISED LAYOUTS DISCHARGE THE SEWAGE IN PITS AND THE SEWAGE SEEPS INTO THE UNDERGROUND WATER TABLE, WITHIN FEW YEARS, IT IS CONTAMINATED.
In case of buildings, which have more construction than the sanctioned plan, the chaos is more severely felt.
For example, a property owner makes an application to the BBMP for the sanction of building plan in a site measuring 1200 sft and 1800 square feet is permitted to be built, leaving setbacks on all four sides of the building for light and ventilation. It is expected that there will be two residential accommodation in the proposed residential building and two families are expected to live and may be 10 to 12 citizens my live in that residential building. But, whereas, in general, 4 residential accommodations are constructed and the total constructed area may be around 3000 square feet. There may be 4 families with 5 to 6 persons residing in one premises and total number of persons in the building will be approximately 20 to 24.
The municipal authorities, based on the sanction will send a proposal to BWSSB for the supply of water to 10 to 12 persons and the underground sewage pipe will be developed only for 10 to 12 or even 15 persons, the BESCOM on the other hand, will sanction the power required on the sanctioned building plan for two residential accommodations and lay cables and the transformer to supply power of 2 to 4 kv, but in reality the building will draw more than 8 kv of power and the transformer gets bust, due over drawing of power, and the residents blame the BESCOM AND BWSSB for their own mistakes and violations.
All these violations, deviations and illegal constructions will have an harmful effect on us as well as the society in the long run.
Let all of us be law abiding citizens and follow the rules and regulations.
Ramani.