Bengaluru footpath encroachments to be cleared by August-end, says minister

Krishna Byre Gowda has ordered officials to finish clearing footpath encroachments, waste and abandoned vehicles by August 30. The directive tightens enforcement against repeat violations and puts accountability on civic officials for lasting results.The minister directed that the footpath encroachment clearance drive, the 'Freedom from Waste' campaign and the abandoned vehicle clearance drive must be completed by August 30. (Photo- Representative/ITG) Minister for Greater Bengaluru Development Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday directed officials to complete the removal of remaining footpath encroachments across the Greater Bengaluru Authority area by the end of August, as part of a wider drive that also covers waste clearance and abandoned vehicles.At a virtual review meeting, Gowda said encroachment clearance was under way along nearly 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in Bengaluru. Of these, encroachments along 964 km of footpaths have already been cleared, and he asked officials to finish the remaining work on schedule.In a statement, the GBA said the minister told officials to carry out the footpath clearance drive strictly according to the plan and to take up repairs at places where encroachments have been removed at the same time. The statement said, "It has been observed that street vendors are returning to locations from which footpath encroachments have already been removed and resuming business." Gowda directed officials to act against such repeat encroachment by seizing the materials of those who return and imposing a double penalty on them. He also asked officials to keep continuous watch over all cleared locations and said a joint meeting with civic and police authorities would be held shortly to strengthen enforcement and keep these stretches free of encroachments.On the 'Freedom from Waste' campaign, the GBA said 1,02,002 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste have so far been identified at 4,483 locations across the five city corporations under the authority. Of this, 43,492 metric tonnes have been cleared from 1,810 locations. The minister asked officials to intensify the operation and ensure effective implementation through proper supervision and monitoring. He also directed the Bangalore Development Authority to carry out a comprehensive cleanliness drive in and around Hebbal Junction. Along the Outer Ring Road stretch from Hebbal to KR Puram, the Bengaluru North, Bengaluru East and Bengaluru Central city corporations were asked to jointly take up a comprehensive cleanliness drive. Gowda also said the drive to remove abandoned vehicles must be carried out proactively. He asked the respective city corporations to assign responsibility for issuing notices on abandoned vehicles to Junior Health Inspectors, civic workers' supervisors and marshals, and said action should be taken against those who fail to discharge this responsibility properly. He said officials must also supervise the clearance operation effectively and ensure that after a vehicle owner pays the penalty following a notice, the same vehicle is not simply moved and parked elsewhere. The minister directed Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao to write to the city corporations making it clear that strict action would be taken against officials who fail to properly discharge their responsibilities in this regard.The minister directed that the footpath encroachment clearance drive, the 'Freedom from Waste' campaign and the abandoned vehicle clearance drive must be completed by August 30. He said a mechanism should be put in place after the drives are completed so that citizens can submit complaints about any remaining issues, and warned that action would be taken against the concerned officials if shortcomings or ineffective implementation are brought to notice. - EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 19, 2026 19:38 IST