Karnataka’s Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that if sites allotted by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) or any of the city corporations remain vacant for over five years without any construction, the owners will have to pay double the property tax. The government will also initiate proceedings to take back such plots.

Mr. Shivakumar made the announcement on August 1 after launching the ‘Tyajyadinda Swatantra’, also known as the Freedom from Waste campaign, at Hebbal in north Bengaluru. BJP MP for Bangalore North Shobha Karandlaje and Yelahanka MLA S.R. Vishwanath participated in the inauguration.

Under the campaign, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has taken up the task of clearing debris from vacant plots and public spaces under the title Just Clean Bengaluru (JCB).

Deep cleaning

The JCB drive will involve clearing 1,616 locations across Bengaluru where, according to GBA estimates, 22,732 tonnes of debris have accumulated. The GBA has deployed over 200 vehicles, with many more being provided by partner agencies to transport inert waste. The Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has identified five locations where the removed waste will be dumped.

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, while stating that the volume of debris could exceed one lakh tonnes, said the campaign would remove lakhs of tonnes of construction and demolition waste from public spaces across the city.

For the campaign, the GBA has brought on parastatal agencies, including BDA, BESCOM, BMRCL, KRIDE, NHAI, KIADB, and BSWML, to clean the city. Mr. Gowda said that the Union Minister of State for Railways had directed Indian Railways to clear construction debris from railway land.

“Debris, excavated soil, stones, concrete slabs, pipes, poles, and other construction materials have been illegally dumped along roadsides, footpaths, and public spaces. These sites pose serious health and safety hazards, and are an ugly eyesore in our densely populated city,” Mr. Gowda said.

Police to crack down on vehicles dumping waste

Mr. Shivakumar said the government had earlier issued notices to those dumping waste illegally and installed surveillance cameras, which kept the problem under control for about 15 days before it resurfaced. He directed the police to crack down on vehicles dumping construction and demolition waste outside designated locations.

Earlier this week, Mr. Gowda announced that the GBA is planning to make it mandatory for vehicles transporting debris and other inert waste to register with the authority and install GPS devices. He said a decision would be taken after a multi-department meeting.

Bengaluru is your property

Mr. Shivakumar said citizens need to develop greater civic awareness, adding, “It is our duty to keep Bengaluru clean. It is your duty to protect your Bengaluru. Bengaluru is not the government’s property; it is yours. This large-scale campaign has been launched to encourage citizens to protect their own city.”

The Chief Minister also said that a historic announcement on creating a Green Bengaluru would be made soon.

Referring to the recent attack on officials during the footpath clearance drive at Shivajinagar, Mr. Shivakumar said those responsible should not think they had merely assaulted government officials, but the minister and the government itself.

Invite to NGOs

The Chief Minister urged non-governmental organisations to participate in the cleanliness campaign by taking responsibility for specific localities or even adopting four roads for maintenance.

He described the cleanliness drive as Bengaluru a model initiative and urged everyone to replicate it in their respective constituencies and regions. “The entire country is watching Bengaluru. It is our collective responsibility to maintain cleanliness in the city,” he said.

Published - August 01, 2026 03:39 pm IST