BBMP clears Old Madras Road footpaths

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) cleared encroachments from the footpaths of Old Madras Road in KR Puram.

The civic body has been on a clean-up drive in the area since Friday. It cleared debris and ripped off seven temporary encroachments on the footpath between Tin Factory and Bhattarahalli signal along Old Madras Road.

It also cleared away black spots, including food waste and piles of coconut shells. Officials said the temporary encroachments included pushcarts, petty shops and eateries.

“Every day, thousands use Old Madras Road, which connects the IT hubs of Marathahalli, Bellandur, Whitefield and other areas,” said an official.

“We’ve done our part by clearing the place, but the encroachments will be back in a few days. This has been the case in several parts of KR Puram and Mahadevapura. We are keeping an eye on repeat offenders and will file cases against them in extreme situations. We only hope there are fewer repeat offenders,” the official added.

A BBMP engineer acknowledged the right of pedestrians on the footpaths and the duty of the civic authorities to protect the pedestrians’ interests and safety.

“(Encroachments) must be approached with zero tolerance,” he said.

“But sometimes, we take the side of humanity and merely warn the offenders. Only when they fail to listen to us, do we file cases against them,” he said.

Civic officials said the cleanup drives will continue in the days to come.