Bengaluru, Oct 10 (IANS): Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday resumed the anti-encroachment drive in the Mahadevapura zone of the city after being pulled up by the state High Court.

Mahadevapura zone houses major IT parks and companies and also shelters a large chunk of techie population. The zone was one of the worst hit areas due to heavy rainfall in the city.

Political interference and resistance from public and corporate companies had led to halting of the demolition drive for two weeks. The officers maintain that the drive was stopped in view of Vijaya Dashami (Navratri) festival.

BBMP has taken up the demolition exercise following collapse of infrastructure due to rain fury. The civic agency and ruling BJP government had to face flank from all corners.

BBMP is taking up demolition drives with the Revenue and Police department. The survey is being carried out and encroachments have been marked by BBMP. The sources stated that encroachment of luxury villas and an auditorium in Mahadevapura zone will be cleared.

The operation against villas will continue on Tuesday as well. The demolition will be taken up in such a way that there is no damage caused to neighbouring buildings, BBMP officers explained.

Earlier, the High Court of Karnataka had objected to the targetting of properties of poor people and turning a blind eye to the encroachments by the rich and influential. The court had taken the civic agency to task and ordered it to get rid of encroachments of storm water drains by October 25.

As per BBMP sources, in the Bengaluru East Division, 110 encroachments of storm water drains have been identified for demolition. In the West division one encroachment has been removed and 58 are pending.

In the South division, action needs to be taken against 20 encroachments. In Yelahanka zone, authorities have cleared 12 and 84 encroachments are pending; in Mahadevapura Zone 48 encroachments are removed while 133 remain.

A total of 75 encroachments are pending in Bommanahalli zone and 17 encroachments are cleared. Six are pending and three encroachments are removed in RR Nagar zone. Dasarahalli zone has 113 pending and BBMP had removed 13.

Koramangala valley region has three encroachments pending. In total eight zones of the city more than 600 encroachments remain untouched, explain sources.