GBA Extends Vacant Plot Cleaning Deadline in Bengaluru to August 22

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has extended the deadline for vacant site owners across Bengaluru to clear garbage and debris from their plots to August 22, pushing back the previous cutoff of August 15. The decision follows requests from property owners who reported difficulties in hiring contractors to clear waste within the earlier timeframe. Civic clean-up operations under the drive have already targeted several localities, including Marenahalli, Venkatapura, Vittasandra, and Yarappannahalli.

In an official release, the GBA appealed to property owners throughout the city to utilize the extra time to clean their plots. The authority clarified that while clearing debris from public spaces remains the responsibility of civic bodies, maintaining private property rests solely on individual property owners.

Addressing public concerns regarding high cleaning charges, the GBA clarified that rates were not determined arbitrarily. The fees are calculated using the state government's Schedule of Rates (SR), which provides standard pricing based on plot size, the quantity of waste, specific labor required, and transportation costs.

The extension comes as part of the 'Freedom from Waste' campaign, an intensified effort led by the GBA in coordination with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM), K-RIDE, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). To clean public spaces, remove illegally dumped waste, and clear overgrown weeds, authorities have deployed 100 trucks and 25 excavators across the city. The overall campaign has cleared more than 30,000 tonnes of debris and overgrown vegetation so far.

As part of the campaign, the Bengaluru North City Corporation (BNCC) cleared 7,694 tonnes of construction and demolition waste between August 1 and August 11, according to BNCC Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar. The BNCC utilized quarry pits in Marenahalli, Venkatapura, Vittasandra, and Yarappannahalli for waste disposal. Marenahalli accounted for the largest share, with 6,551 tonnes of debris dumped due to its larger available space and capacity.

Commissioner Kumar stated that the BNCC will continue to step up operations to make the city free of construction waste, urging citizens not to dump waste on roadsides, in drains, or on vacant plots.