Bengaluru’s civic authorities have cleaned 709 vacant plots in the southern parts of the city since August 1 under the ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign, but 533 plots remain pending and 372 owners have been served notices for failing to maintain their properties.
The campaign was undertaken on the direction of Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to prevent vacant sites from becoming garbage blackspots. The Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Bengaluru South civic administration asked property owners to remove accumulated waste and maintain their plots so that they do not become dumping grounds for household garbage and construction debris.
According to the figures released in the report, there are 1,242 vacant plots in the areas covered by the campaign. Owners cleaned 668 of the 709 plots cleared so far, while the civic body cleaned the remaining 41 plots. The 533 sites yet to be cleared are now the focus of enforcement action.
Civic commissioner K.N. Ramesh said notices had been issued to 372 owners among those responsible for the pending plots. He said owners who fail to maintain their sites and cause inconvenience to the public would face strict action. The notices are intended to enforce the requirement that vacant plots be kept free of waste and secured against unauthorised dumping.
The campaign’s progress varies across the five civic divisions. Bengaluru South has 518 vacant plots, of which 200 remain uncleared, and 93 owners have received notices. Bommanahalli has 498 plots, with 221 still pending and 140 notices issued. In the BTM division, 83 of 111 plots remain to be cleaned, while 62 owners have been served notices.
Padmanabhanagar has recorded the highest level of clearance in proportionate terms. Of its 62 vacant plots, six remain pending, although notices have been issued to 35 owners. Jayanagar has 53 plots, including 23 awaiting cleaning, and 42 notices have been issued.
The figures show that the campaign has relied primarily on property owners to address the problem. Owners were asked to install suitable wire fencing to prevent garbage from being thrown onto their land and to ensure regular cleaning. The civic administration has also appealed to residents not to dump waste in open spaces.
Vacant plots often become informal waste-disposal points when they lack fencing, regular monitoring or clear maintenance responsibility. In the areas covered by the drive, the civic body said garbage piles and construction waste had accumulated on several sites, prompting the authorities to set a deadline for removal.
The next stage of the campaign will involve follow-up action against owners of the 533 plots that remain uncleared. The civic administration’s stated position is that property owners must maintain their land while residents must avoid dumping waste in vacant sites.
