Bengaluru to bill vacant plot owners after deadline as civic body begins clean-up

Greater Bengaluru Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who launched the clean-up drive at Domlur in the Shantinagar Assembly constituency, urged owners to maintain their vacant properties themselves, warning that getting the civic body to do the job would cost them more.Bengaluru to bill vacant plot owners as civic body begins vacant plot clean-up (AI-generated image used for representational purpose only)The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has begun cleaning vacant plots across Bengaluru whose owners failed to clear them within the deadline, with the civic body set to recover the cost of the exercise from the property owners through property tax.Greater Bengaluru Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, who launched the clean-up drive at Domlur in the Shantinagar Assembly constituency on Thursday, urged owners to maintain their vacant properties themselves, warning that getting the civic body to do the job would cost them more.The drive is part of the city-wide ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign, which has been underway since July 15 to remove construction and demolition waste, overgrown vegetation and debris from public and private spaces.70% OF OWNERS FAILED TO CLEAN PLOTSAccording to Gowda, around 30 per cent of vacant plot owners responded to notices and cleaned their properties during the stipulated period, while nearly 70 per cent failed to act. Private vacant plot owners were initially given time until August 15 to clear their properties. The deadline was subsequently extended by a week to August 22. With the extended deadline now over, the civic body has started cleaning the remaining plots and will recover the expenses from the owners.Gowda said maintaining vacant properties was the responsibility of their owners under the Greater Bengaluru Authority Act. He thanked those who had already complied and urged others to follow suit. “It will cost you less if you clean your plot yourself than if the civic body does it. Keep your property clean and contribute to improving Bengaluru,” he said.He added that he would personally send letters of appreciation to owners who had cleaned their plots themselves.OVERGROWN PLOTS RAISE HEALTH CONCERNSGowda said several vacant plots had become heavily overgrown, creating conditions that could attract flies, mosquitoes, snakes and rats and affect the city's overall sanitation.He said some plots required heavy equipment and at least three hours of work to clear the vegetation and accumulated waste. The GBA also said restrictions on the movement of tippers meant waste could be transported for disposal only once a day.The cleaning charges have been fixed according to the prescribed Schedule of Rates and will vary depending on the size of the plot. Gowda said officials had also been instructed not to impose additional charges on plots with gates.“If a compound wall has to be removed to carry out the cleaning, only the prescribed rate will be charged,” he said.Gowda clarified that no penalty would be imposed when a vacant plot was cleaned for the first time. However, penalties would be levied according to the rules if the same negligence was repeated.As part of the awareness campaign, notices have been affixed to 189 vacant plots across the city's five corporations, and cleaning work has begun.OVER 1.2 LAKH TONNES OF WASTE CLEAREDThe wider ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign has resulted in the clearance of a large volume of construction and demolition waste across Bengaluru.The GBA said it had so far cleared 67,152 metric tonnes of such waste, while the Bangalore Development Authority cleared 51,323 metric tonnes. The Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board removed 2,800 metric tonnes, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board 728 metric tonnes, K-RIDE 560 metric tonnes and the National Highways Authority of India 169 metric tonnes.BESCOM has removed or raised 6,173 poles and rods, while the Metro has cleared 2,143 cubic metres of waste.Officials said the combined efforts of various departments had resulted in the clearance of 1,22,732 metric tonnes of construction and demolition waste so far.With the civic body now taking over the cleaning of neglected vacant plots, Gowda reiterated that property owners should maintain their premises themselves to avoid additional costs and help keep Bengaluru clean.- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 27, 2026 19:24 IST