BENGALURU: (Aug 12
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), in coordination with BDA, BESCOM, KRIDE, BMRCL and KIADB, has intensified efforts to make Bengaluru cleaner and improve public spaces under the “Freedom from Waste” campaign.
As part of the campaign, 100 trucks and 25 excavators have been deployed across the city to clear illegally dumped debris, overgrown weeds and other waste from public spaces. So far, the campaign has resulted in the removal of more than 30,000 tonnes of debris and overgrown vegetation.
Building on the the Campaigns that are already in progress for footpath clearance and abandoned vehicle removal, this campaign is another step towards the objective of restoring public spaces and making Bengaluru cleaner, safer and more accessible.
However, sustained improvement requires the participation of property owners as well.
Property owners urged to clean vacant sites
Owners of vacant sites are urged to remove accumulated debris and overgrown weeds from their properties at the earliest. Private owned spaces and public land both must be cleaned for improvement in Bengaluru.
The GBA has announced that if vacant sites are not cleaned by their owners, the authority will be forced to undertake the cleaning and recover the associated costs from the property owner.
The GBA has also published the applicable rates for such work. Concerns have been raised by few people that these rates are high. It should be noted that the rates have not been arbitrarily determined.
The rates are based on the Government’s Schedule of Rates (SR), which provides standard rates for various types of work. The cost of cleaning a vacant site is calculated based on the size of the plot, quantity of debris and other work involved, with transportation costs also taken into account.
We understand and acknowledge that these charges can be significant for property owners.
There is an easy solution. Owners can avoid charges by taking timely action. Property owners have a simple way to avoid these costs: clean their vacant sites themselves by engaging a private contractor.
In many cases, engaging a private contractor directly may cost significantly less than waiting for the authority or its contractors to undertake the work and subsequently recover the cost.
The original deadline for property owners to clean their vacant sites was August 15. Considering requests for additional time, the deadline will now be extended to August 22.
We appeal to all property owners to use the additional time to clean their premises and contribute to the city-wide effort.
Cleaning debris from public spaces is our responsibility. Taking care of private property is the responsibility of the property owner. Bengaluru will become better only when all of us join hands and do our part.
The Freedom from Waste campaign is ultimately aimed at creating cleaner and better Bengaluru through coordinated action by government agencies and active participation from citizens.says release.