Central Street Footpaths in Shivajinagar Remain Blocked Despite Civic Drives

Footpaths along Central Street in Shivajinagar remain heavily encroached by commercial establishments, just 50 metres from where civic authorities recently executed an eviction drive, leaving pedestrians with little walking space.

Furniture shops along the stretch have occupied the walkways with chairs, tables, bean bags, and other items. The busy corridor connects the Shivajinagar Bus Stop to Commercial Street and the M.G. Road Metro Station, serving thousands of commuters daily who are forced onto the roadway to bypass the obstacles.

Pedestrians reported safety concerns due to the blocked walkways. Shradha Prakash, who works at a private company on Church Street, said the encroachments force people to repeatedly step down onto the traffic-clogged road. She added that similar footpath encroachments are present on nearby Infantry Road. Arun, an employee at a firm on Infantry Road, noted that workers frequenting local condiment shops actively avoid walking along Central Street because of the conditions.

The footpaths remain blocked despite recent city-wide clearance drives initiated following directions from Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. A previous operation on Lady Curzon Road witnessed high drama when private individuals assaulted Central Corporation officials, leading Commissioner G. Jagadeesha to inspect the location personally.

Local hawkers in the vicinity have also expressed concern over ongoing enforcement. Abhishek Kumar, a juice cart vendor near Infantry Road, said he fears losing his daily business following the removal of shops during operations last month.

Calls to the Central Corporation Commissioner and the in-charge engineer went unanswered. However, a corporation source stated that warnings were issued to furniture shops during last month's clearance drive, after which displays were temporarily cleared, and added that a clearance drive specifically for Central Street is yet to be taken up.