Bengaluru's 'eyewash' demolition? BBMP deletes tweets as illegal building construction resumes

In a turn of events sparking outrage and renewed scrutiny, Bengaluru’s civic authority, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is under fire after a seemingly incomplete demolition of an illegal building in the Mahadevapura area.

BBMP initially posted a tweet showcasing the demolition work  a couple of days ago, only to delete it shortly after. This abrupt move triggered backlash as residents pointed out that the demolition had been left unfinished, with work construction work on the building later resuming from this morning, raising concerns about the transparency and accountability of the civic body.

The saga unfolded on social media as an X user shared images purportedly showing that the BBMP’s demolition drive had barely scratched the surface, calling it an “eyewash.”

The user further tagged BBMP’s account, questioning, “@Bbmpcares any specific reason you decided to delete your original post? The construction has also resumed.”

Here you go. pic.twitter.com/sOpob15yF2
Vishesh Arora (@aroravishesh25) October 30, 2024

The deleted tweet, followed by citizen reports of resumed construction, fuelled a stream of criticism on X. Several users questioned the BBMP's motives, suggesting that the agency’s actions may have been merely for media optics rather than genuine enforcement.

“This isn’t just about one illegal building. It’s about public trust,” one user commented. “Actions like these undermine public faith and damage the credibility of the administration. Accountability and transparency are essential,” another tweet read.

Here is the picture from today, with construction resumed. Great demolition job @Bbmpcares! @east_bengaluru @WFRising @ChristinMP_ @XpressBengaluru @Lolita_TNIE pic.twitter.com/AEC1IhNzPk
Vishesh Arora (@aroravishesh25) October 30, 2024

The BBMP, which has been functioning without an elected council since 2020, has seen similar instances of alleged mismanagement and partial enforcement in recent years, with critics pointing to a pattern of lax oversight and superficial measures.

Some residents argued that recent actions by BBMP reflect a systemic issue of corruption and inefficiency within the organisation, with one resident labelling corruption as part of BBMP’s “DNA.”

The incident also ignited a fresh debate on whether Bengaluru’s governance model requires radical changes, with calls for the city to be divided into multiple smaller, independently governed municipal corporations.

BBMP tweets a picture of an illegal building being demolished.A citizen exposed the "eyewash demolition" by posting picture showing work resuming & business continuing as usualBBMP, which has had no elected council since 2020, deleted the tweet.Accountability?@BBMPCOMM https://t.co/ugEE8KNhuHChristinMathewPhilip (@ChristinMP_) October 30, 2024

One user wrote: “It may be time for drastic action: dismantling the BBMP and dividing Bengaluru into at least five smaller, independently governed municipal corporations.”

BBMP officials have yet to respond to the outrage.

The BBMP was set to survey and demolish unauthorised buildings across the city, starting Monday following the recent collapse of a six-storey building that claimed nine lives in Bengaluru.

One initial target was a five-storey building located in Nanjappa Garden in Hennur, constructed without the necessary permissions on a 250 sq ft (10x25 ft) plot. The owner consented to the demolition, allowing BBMP to proceed with the removal of the unsafe structure. A dilapidated building in the Islampur slum area been demolished.