Bengaluru, 1 July

Earthmovers roared across Bengaluru on Wednesday as authorities launched a massive drive to evict footpath encroachments by street vendors, shopkeepers and other unauthorised occupants, with the first phase targeting nearly 2,000 km of footpaths along arterial and sub-arterial roads.

The operation, coordinated by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the city's five municipal corporations, began at 9.30 am after ward-wise and zone-wise plans were finalised.

Officials said the drive follows directions of the Supreme Court, which has held that footpaths are meant for pedestrians and should remain free of obstructions.

Authorities said Urban Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda had held two rounds of meetings with officials and directed that the operation should not be delayed.

"Footpaths are public property. They do not belong to any individual. They must be protected," officials said.

They added that the first phase would focus on protecting about 2,000 km of footpaths out of nearly 13,000 km of roads with footpaths in Bengaluru.

The operation commenced in Ward-153 under the Bengaluru Central City Corporation, with earthmovers clearing encroachments from Ashoka Pillar to Madhavan Park.

Local police, engineers and civic officials supervised the drive, while seized materials and temporary structures were loaded onto lorries for removal.

Officials said no exceptions would be made during the drive.

Tea counters, temporary extensions outside commercial establishments and construction materials occupying footpaths were among those removed.

They added that surveillance would continue even after the clearance to prevent fresh encroachments.

The drive was simultaneously launched in the North, South, East, West and Central city corporation limits.

Besides the Ashoka Pillar-Madhavan Park stretch, operations were scheduled along Trinity Junction-MG Road-MG Park, 100 Feet Indiranagar Road-Domlur Flyover, Vivekananda Metro Station-Benniganahalli Railway Bridge, RV Road-Teachers' Colony-South End Circle and other identified corridors.

Officials said notices had been issued in advance and the exercise was not sudden.

They said awareness campaigns preceded the issuance of notices before the enforcement action began. Additional police personnel were deployed at several locations following minor arguments with affected occupants.

Street vendors opposed the eviction drive, saying they had been conducting business for years and sought alternative vending spaces before being displaced. They maintained that they did not intend to inconvenience pedestrians and urged the government to provide a rehabilitation plan.

Authorities said the clearance exercise was aimed at restoring pedestrian rights, improving road safety and removing construction materials and commercial encroachments that obstruct public movement on footpaths.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Minister Krishna Byre Gowda clarified that the exercise is aimed at improving pedestrian safety and is not intended to displace street vendors.

Restrictions on vending apply only to about 20 per cent of major roads where pedestrian movement is severely affected, while vending continues to be permitted on the remaining roads.

He urged shop owners to voluntarily remove illegal encroachments from footpaths, failing which action would be taken as per law.