A joint survey of the land between the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) and the forest department has been decided to be conducted within the next two weeks in an effort to resolve a long-pending land dispute that has affected hundreds of site owners in Banashankari 6th Stage. The decision to hold a meeting was taken by the BDA , in response to the repeated complaints from the buyers and allottees of sites in the layout in south Bengaluru.
The officials explained that the new survey is a must as the previous verifications did not include the forest department and as a result, there were conflicting claims of land ownership and the extent of buffer zones around the forest land. The dispute has left hundreds of homeowners unable to begin construction for several years.
One of the differences between these two departments was revealed in a survey done by the BDA and the revenue department in September 2024 which determined that the forest department was holding an additional 16 acres and 31 guntas of land apart from the originally notified 43 acres of forest land. Nevertheless, the forest department contested these results, leading to a joint verification exercise involving all stakeholders.
A senior BDA official told TOI, "We are redoing the survey by taking all stakeholders on board to avoid confusion. We have fixed a deadline of two weeks, and BDA will also carry out a drone survey to get a clearer picture. If it is established that the forest department indeed holds the additional 16 acres, the buffer zone issue will be resolved automatically. Otherwise, we will examine the next course of action."
Officials have communicated that the use of drone mapping will bring about more accurate land boundary details and that the areas in dispute will be ascertained with the highest level of precision. The BDA and the forest department will have a meeting again on January 7 to discuss the results of the joint survey and decide on their next course of action.
The dispute has been a source of trouble for more than 1,500 families who have bought plots in the BDA-developed Banashankari 6th Stage layout. Established in 2001, the layout comprises more than 20,500 sites spread over 14 blocks. The problem mostly concerns the 3rd, 4th, and 5th blocks where the forest department has alleged that parts of the land fall within a 100-metre buffer zone of the BM Kaval Agara forest land, therefore, construction activities have been stopped.
The residents and site owners have continuously demanded that the authorities provide them with information. They have stated that the uncertainty led to financial hardships and the delay of housing plans over the course of several years. Many of them have put their life savings into the sites, and now they are simply waiting for the problem to be solved so that they can go ahead with the construction.
Officials expressed confidence that the joint survey would bring about the much-needed clarity and lead to a resolution of the buffer zone issue, thus the affected site owners’ gaining some relief and the regaining of their trust in the layout’s development.
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