CH NEWS, BENGALURU
Greater Bangalore Development (GBA) Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has issued a stern advisory to property owners across the city, urging them to clear out overgrown vegetation and construction debris from vacant lots independently to avoid heavy municipal cleaning charges.
The warning came during a symbolic cleanup drive launched at Domlur, falling within the Shantinagar Assembly Constituency. The initiative follows the expiration of the deadline set under the city-wide “Freedom from Waste” campaign. Initially, private plot owners were given until August 15 to clear their premises, a grace period later extended through August 22. According to municipal data, roughly 30 percent of property owners complied by cleaning their sites, but a staggering 70 percent failed to take action.
Expressing frustration, Minister Byre Gowda noted that neglected plots choked with weeds and trash have become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, rodents, and snakes, severely threatening public health and urban hygiene. With the deadline passed, the GBA has officially begun clearing neglected properties directly, announcing that all cleaning expenses will be recovered from owners through their property tax assessments.
The minister stressed that independent cleanup remains far more economical for citizens. GBA operations follow standard Schedule of Rates (SR) based on plot dimensions and machinery requirements, but the government has opted for leniency during this initial phase. “No penalty will be imposed for the first time cleaning of vacant sites,” Khandre clarified, adding that repeat negligence will attract strict financial penalties. Additionally, owners who voluntarily clean their properties will receive official letters of thanks from the administration.
The massive city-wide drive has already registered staggering progress. A combined total of 1,22,732 metric tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste has been cleared so far through inter-departmental collaboration. This includes 67,152 metric tonnes cleared by the GBA, alongside contributions from the BDA, KIADB, K-Raid, NHAI, and Jalmandali, alongside utility clearances by BESCOM and Namma Metro.
To enforce compliance, formal notices have now been pasted across 189 neglected properties, with municipal corporation teams officially launching forced cleanup operations across five city zones. Local leaders, including Shantinagar MLA and BDA President N.A. Harris and GBA Chief Commissioner Maheshwar Rao, accompanied the minister, reinforcing that maintaining urban cleanliness is a non-negotiable legal duty for every property owner under the GBA Act.
