Bengaluru Footpath Cleanup: 13 km Encroachment Drive Clears Hundreds of Shops and Structures in One Day

Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation carried out a major footpath cleanup drive, clearing 13 km of encroachments in a single day. Hundreds of illegal shops, sheds and structures were removed to restore pedestrian access and improve public safety.

Massive Drive to Improve Pedestrian Movement

The Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation has launched a major campaign to improve pedestrian movement by clearing encroachments from footpaths across its jurisdiction. 

Acting on the directions of the Greater Bengaluru Development Minister, officials carried out a large-scale encroachment removal drive on Wednesday (July 1, 2026). 

In a single day, encroachments were cleared from 13.25 km of footpaths, with hundreds of unauthorised structures, including small shops, temporary sheds and pushcarts, removed as part of the operation. 

The civic body said the drive is aimed at ensuring safer and unobstructed footpaths for residents.

Initiative Aims to Create Barrier-Free Footpaths

The Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation has launched the Safe Footpath Campaign to reclaim public footpaths that have been illegally encroached upon by traders and property owners. 

According to Municipal Commissioner DS Ramesh, these encroachments have forced pedestrians onto the roads, contributing to traffic congestion and increasing the risk of accidents. 

He said the special drive has been launched with the objective of creating barrier-free footpaths and ensuring safer, unobstructed movement for the public across the city.

Zone-Wise Encroachment Clearance Drive

The Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation carried out simultaneous encroachment clearance operations across eight key areas using JCBs, tractors and Hydra machines. 

The drive covered the following locations:

Whitefield: Hope Farm Junction to Varthur Kodi (1.5 km) 

Marathahalli: Marathahalli Junction to Ibblur Junction (3.5 km) 

KR Puram: ITPL Main Road to Devasandra (1 km) 

Horamavu: Horamavu Main Road (3 km) 

HAL: KR Puram Metro Station to Benniganahalli Metro Station (1.5 km) 

Ramamurthy Nagar: A 2 km stretch of the main road 

Doddanekundi: Areas around ITPL 

Kadugodi: Areas around Hoodi Circle

According to the corporation, the coordinated operation was undertaken to remove encroachments from footpaths, improve pedestrian accessibility and ensure safer movement across these busy parts of the city.

Civic Body Clears Illegal Structures and Waste

As part of the encroachment clearance drive, the Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation removed a large number of illegal structures and cleared substantial quantities of waste from public spaces. 

The operation included:

• Petty shops removed: 59 
• Pushcarts removed: 65 
• Illegal barriers removed: 38 
• Unauthorised shop staircases removed: 7 
• Flex boards and banners removed: 156 
• Canopies and temporary sheds removed: 71 
• Waste cleared: 25 tonnes of solid waste and 80 tonnes of construction and demolition waste

According to the corporation, the drive was undertaken to reclaim public footpaths, improve pedestrian safety and ensure cleaner, obstruction-free public spaces.

Joint Task Force Formed to Prevent Fresh Encroachments

To prevent the re-encroachment of cleared footpaths, the Bengaluru East Municipal Corporation has constituted a special joint task force comprising officials from the Engineering, Health, BESCOM, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and Police departments. 

A nodal officer has been appointed from each department, while the Municipal Commissioner is overseeing the entire operation.

The corporation's marshal teams will patrol the cleared areas round the clock to prevent fresh encroachments. 

The Municipal Commissioner has warned that anyone found re-encroaching on public land will face strict action, including heavy fines and the registration of criminal cases.

Commissioner Urges Voluntary Removal of Encroachments

Municipal Commissioner DS Ramesh has appealed to shop owners and street vendors to voluntarily remove encroachments from public footpaths.

"Pedestrian footpaths belong to the public. Shop owners and street vendors should voluntarily remove all encroachments. Otherwise, the corporation will take action without hesitation," he said.

According to the corporation, the ongoing drive has already restored pedestrian access along several major roads that had remained encroached upon for years, allowing residents to use the footpaths safely and without obstruction.