Day after eviction, encroachers back on Bellandur road

Barely a day after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike evicted shopkeepers and hawkers on the footpath of Kasavanahalli main road in Bellandur ward, the occupiers were back on the pavements.

Exasperated by the obstruction caused on the footpaths due to encroachments, the residents had been urging the BBMP to remove the encroachers for a month now. The civic body paid heed to their pleas and cleared out the footpath on Saturday. But on Sunday morning, it appeared as if the eviction had not taken place at all.

"Some of the hardware and welding shops in Kasavanahalli road have occupied the footpath to keep their equipment around," Muniraju, a resident, said.

"It was a week ago that the BBMP had made an announcement that it would be clearing the encroachment in the area and somehow, by word of mouth, the shopkeepers and hawkers got to know about it. They cleared everything for a day until the BBMP came to the area for inspection. Once they left, the encroachments are back," said Muniraju S.

Another resident Vishnu Prasad said the Palike should survey the place at least once a month to ensure that the place is not occupied.

Responding to the situation, BBMP's executive engineer M Munireddy said the officials would survey the place again to check for encroachments. "We are doing it in Haralur and other places in the Bellandur ward simultaneously. We shall file FIRs against the offenders, if they continue to encroach," he added.