Bengaluru civic body in action

Gopalan International School in the city's Mahadevapura area was submerged when it rained heavily a week ago.

On Monday, the cricket pitch digging machine was working in the school.

The Bengaluru civic body has identified around 700 encroachments on water drains and officials on the ground are ensuring that the encroachments are cleared soon.

Asked if this momentum will continue, Assistant Executive Engineer, Brihat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, Srinivas said, "No one will be spared, whether rich or poor. The school has developed a playground by encroaching on the water channel." About 7.5 meters of drain is below this playground and it has not gone unnoticed by the BBMP officials."

Gopalan International School was created in 2010, although the school has denied the allegation that it occupied any land.

Sunil Kalever, Head Group Admin, Gopalan Foundation, said, “We have not encroached, but only a part of the land is on the water channel. We are cooperating with the police and the civic body. The school reported floods last week. And this time the intensity of rain was more. The water in the lake had also increased, due to which there was flood.

About 100 meters from the campus wall of this school is the Mahavir Apartment, a part of the apartment is also built on the drain.

NDTV exclusively spoke to the residents of the apartment whose building is likely to collapse in the coming days.

The residents blame the nexus between the government and the builders and demand to know what is their fault.

Col Krishnan, a resident, told NDTV, "If there was no nexus between the government, bureaucrats and builders, then how was permission given to build apartments on a drain? Government officials gave permission for the approval plan and now they themselves follow the rules. We are breaking it. We will move the court, we will get a stay order."

HS Singh, a retired deputy tax commissioner and another resident, who are worried about their apartment being demolished, said, "All my savings have gone into this apartment. Now we are being told that my apartment is sitting on a water drain." We have got our documents. Initially before buying the apartment, we were examined through a lawyer. What is our mistake? Let the government arrange an alternate accommodation for us."