How To Become a Land Shark and Encroach On a Lake in Bengaluru

Tested against legal procedures, these lake encroachment methods will get you land worths crores for just peanuts.

Bengaluru tops the list for demand for office space in Indian cities. Startups, industries and an increasing workforce needs land both for commercial & residential purposes. (Photo: Hardeep Singh/The Quint)

Bengaluru’s Dying Lakes

• More than 90% of Bangalore’s lakes are polluted or encroached on
  
• Total Number of surveyed lakes in Bengaluru – 1,545
  
• Lakes that are left un-encroached – 136
  
• Top encroachers: Real estate giants & govt agencies like BDA and BBMP
• 144 religious institutions encroached upon lake beds
• Bengaluru may lose all its water bodies by 2020

Do you want to build a house, but land is expensive? Need to start an industry but the ideal location is a lake? Worry not, we dish the dirt on how to encroach on lakes and become a proficient land shark. Tested against litigations and legal procedures, these methods have proved to be successful, but user discretion is advised.

Disposing of construction waste on open sites has emerged as a lucrative business in Bengaluru. (Photo Courtesy: Namma Bengaluru Foundation)

1. Dump Debris or Throw Waste Into Lakes

Construction waste is a miracle product. It has mastered the art of acquiring, penetrating and conquering lakes. Begin by dumping waste in the periphery of the lake to block the view of the water body. Over days and months, as the pile of debris grows larger, and the lake is almost invisible from the sides, many more will join your cause. No one will question anyone, since nobody knows who started first. Letting raw sewage or industrial waste into the lake is another great idea. As soon as a sizeable portion of the lake is choked with debris or weeds, you can begin construction.

Finest Example: Bellandur lake, the burning, frothing lake in Bengaluru that fell prey to sewage, tonnes of household waste, and construction debris. The area between Kalkere and Ramapura lakes in Bengaluru, once a wetland, is now completely buried.

Bengaluru has no landfills left for dumping any kind of waste. The surrounding villages that were once the dump-yards, protested and won the legal battles and are no more the designated landfills. With the lack of an efficient waste collection system and segregation of waste, any open area in Bengaluru is now a dumping ground.

Divya Narayanan, Campaigner for Jhatkaa.org

Around 144 religious institutions have encroached upon lake beds in Bengaluru. (Photo Courtesy: Namma Bengaluru Foundation)

2. Build a Temple/Mosque/Church: The Gods Won't Disappoint

A temple, mosque or a gurudwara is your best bet to acquire prime location. Constructing a temple beside a lake will get you only a small piece of land. Set up camp in the middle of the lake. The size of encroachment in the middle of the lake should be directly proportional to a number of small shops dotting the edge of the lake. This helps keep untoward activity out of sight and is a source of additional income. The battle is half-won once you create access to the hallowed land. Conquer it completely by luring communities to visit the structure. Lakes encroached upon in the name of religion are fit for community use, and donation-sponsored charity hospitals and wedding halls. Land-grabbing is a bailable offence in India. The local police has a right to cancel the encroachment FIRs after preliminary investigations. If you still get caught you have both the religious community and the corrupt system by your side to ensure that no action is taken.

Finest example: Kacharakanahalli lake that completely disappeared over the decades. A government report lists a 5.2-acre temple is listed as the largest property on encroached land.

An investigation shows 117 instances of encroachment by cemeteries, rudrabhoomis and memorials over lakes. (Photo Courtesy: Namma Bengaluru Foundation)

3. Remember Your Dear Ones on the Lake Bed

Monuments, memorials and cemeteries are sacrosanct in India. It may take rounds of permissions, plans, official clearances and finances to build a school. All you need to build a memorial or a Samadhi is the right person and his loyal followers. Investments are minimal and success rates are high. Dearth of open spaces to bury the dead is a genuine concern, which has long helped the land sharks and land mafia. An investigation by The Hindu shows 117 instances of encroachment by cemeteries, rudrabhoomis and memorials.

Finest Example: Doddaballapur town, where 7.9 acres of lake bed have been turned into cemeteries.

‘Government has a right over public property’ is the common perception in India. (Photo Courtesy: Namma Bengaluru Foundation)

4. Forth in Thy Name, My Government, I Go

Encroachment in the name of government is daring but effective. Trends suggests that transformers and water-sewage pipes are guaranteed winners. People who are watchful of their surroundings may notice your activities, but will withdraw, thinking a government department is at work. Transformers and 'civil work' will block the water body from view and the 'activity' can go on endlessly. Once boundaries have been distorted, the bigger task of distorting government records remains.

Various government departments do the land survey. It is through these records that the area under lakes and ecological zones is decided. There is no central data system and different departments are involved in it. A ‘human error’ or a data entry ‘mistake’ in one of the records is enough to create a dispute or a confusion. Government machinery in India is yet to develop a mechanism that can check ‘mistakes’ and ‘deliberate mistakes’.

Ashwin Mahesh, Civic Expert & Activist, Bengaluru

Finest Example: In 2007, Bysandra Lake was mortgaged to a bank for constructing apartments. The matter came to light when Indian Overseas Bank tried to auction it and the move was resisted by residents of the area.

Government agencies like Bangalore Development Authority and BBMP are amongst the top encroachers in the city. (Photo Courtesy: Namma Bengaluru Foundation)

5. For the Greater Good

Lake encroachment is not always a bad thing. It may well be for the ‘public good.’ To construct a school, a hospital, a community hall, a road or a dhobi ghaat, all you need to do is approach your local corporator with your grievances and a substantial vote bank. He/She will then identify a sizeable open area, which is most likely to be a lake or army land. The humble lakes are always the easiest to grab.

Finest example: Hosakerehalli Lake in Banashankari was encroached by NICE road and Vrushikesh school.

The most popular use for encroached lakes is real estate. Do not forget to pay homage to the lake by naming your property Vista Lagos (lake view). There’s absolutely no need for a lake to view. Your building already stands on it. All you need to do is beware of civic activists, groups like 'Ugly Indians' or 'Friends of Lakes’. They live in a utopia of clean, green cities, and can be fatal, if armed with RTIs and PILs. Entangle them in legal procedures or seek help from local goons. If the matters get worse, exit quietly, there are still 136 lakes left to be encroached on.

(The article is based on data and information from House Committee on tank bed encroachments report on lake encroachments in Bengaluru)