Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday (August 19) directed officials to step up enforcement against repeat offenders, setting August 30 as the deadline to clear all remaining footpath encroachments across the city. The Minister also directed officials to take up repairs of footpaths simultaneously wherever encroachments have been removed.

The August 30 deadline also applies to two other city-wide drives — the ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign and the removal of abandoned vehicles.

The clearance drive is being carried out along nearly 1,500 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads across the GBA limits. So far, encroachments along 964 km of footpaths have been cleared, the Minister said at a review meeting.

Double penalty

The directive comes amid complaints that vendors are returning to stretches that have already been cleared and resuming business. The Minister instructed officials to seize materials of those found re-encroaching and impose twice the penalty. He also called for continuous monitoring of cleared stretches and said a joint meeting of civic and police officials would be held to strengthen enforcement and prevent cleared footpaths from being occupied again.

Under the waste clearance drive, the five city corporations have identified 1,02,002 tonnes of construction and demolition waste at 4,483 locations. Of this, 43,492 tonnes have been cleared from 1,810 locations.

The Minister directed officials to intensify the clearance and monitoring of such waste. The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has also been asked to conduct a cleanliness drive around Hebbal Junction.

On abandoned vehicles, the Minister directed the city corporations to assign Junior Health Inspectors, civic workers’ supervisors and marshals responsibility for issuing notices to vehicles found abandoned on public spaces.

Following the completion of all three drives, the GBA will put in place a mechanism for citizens to report remaining problems, Mr. Gowda said, warning that officials would be held accountable for lapses or ineffective implementation.

Published - August 19, 2026 09:50 pm IST