RT Nagar footpath encroachments have blocked sections of public walkways in Bengaluru, with residents citing tree protection and nuisance caused by construction workers while local residents accuse civic authorities of selective enforcement.
The reported instances are located on 14th Cross in 2nd Block, RT Nagar, where fencing, wooden logs and other barriers have occupied parts of the footpath. Construction workers were also seen sitting on the walkway and chewing tobacco products, according to a report by Bangalore Mirror.
One of the residents defending the fencing is RK Raju, a retired IAS officer. He said his wife had insisted on fencing the footpath after construction workers allegedly created a nuisance by chewing tobacco products and chatting outside the property. Raju said the fence would be removed after construction of a building opposite his house was completed.
Sandhya Raju said the family had lived in the area for more than two decades and that the fencing was intended both to prevent nuisance and to protect mature trees planted by the family. She said the fence could be removed if required and maintained that it had not affected anyone.
Another resident, who owns a well-known bakery, also defended fencing the footpath as a measure to protect trees and prevent pedestrians from colliding with them. The fence reportedly has a lock, while wooden logs had been placed on the occupied section. The resident said the logs were kept by workers engaged to install flex banners, although he did not explain how those workers entered a locked, fenced area.
The residents quoted in the report said they would remove the barriers if there were objections. However, the fencing has raised a larger question about who can control public pedestrian space and under what authority. A footpath remains a civic facility even when it runs outside a private home, and barriers can force pedestrians to move onto the carriageway or negotiate around obstructions.
A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, blamed Bengaluru North City Corporation authorities for ignoring what he described as blatant encroachments in RT Nagar. He alleged that civic officials remove vendors from footpaths but have not acted against encroachments outside properties owned by affluent residents.
The resident also appealed to Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to take note of encroachments in and around RT Nagar. The report does not mention any official response from the civic authorities or confirm whether notices have been issued against the property owners.
The immediate issue remains whether the fences and other obstructions will be removed and whether the concerned civic authority will inspect the affected footpaths. Until then, pedestrian access on the reported stretches remains dependent on private residents’ assurances rather than visible enforcement of public right of way.
