BENGALURU: BBMP workers have begun clearing footpath encroachments and unauthorised OFC cables in areas under Mahadevapura zone. The drive has covered about 37.5km of roads in about a week, said civic officials.
A BBMP team lead by an executive engineer and comprising other officials and pourakarmikas is on the road accompanied by tractors to carry the dismantled hoardings, and earthmovers to remove encroachments.
On Friday, the team cleared encroachments on Devarasandra road starting from KR Puram BBMP office to Devasandra Circle.
BBMP pourakarmikas removed all banners and hoardings (put up by shops) encroaching pavement spaces. Plastic sheets and canopies hanging in front of shops too were pulled down and loaded on to tractors.
Meanwhile, a BBMP electricity team removed all OFC cables hanging from streetlights and trees. However, most shopkeepers were unhappy with the sudden drive and said if informed in advance, they’d have themselves removed the banners in front of their shops.
BBMP also fined shops encroaching footpaths. The penalty ranged from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000, based on the type of encroachment. Civic officials said till now, they have collected around Rs 80,000 from such violators under KR Puram sub-division.
Naveen Kumar, a provision store owner at Devasandra, said that while clearing encroachments was a good civic initiative, starting it randomly led to a mess. “I didn’t have a problem as I have not encroached any walkway, but many other neighbouring shops did. If they had informed in advance, shop owners would have themselves cleared the encroachments and the resultant mess.”
A medical shop owner, who refused to be named, said the drive wasn’t transparent. “They are sparing some shops which is unfair. If they want to do it properly, they should clear all encroachments without partiality,” he added.
Rahaman Idruf, executive engineer, KR Puram, said: “So far, we have cleared footpath encroachments and OFC cables. Though we faced some resistance from shopkeepers, traffic and law-and-order police helped us perform our duty. The drive is to ensure pedestrian safety.”
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