Bengaluru orders vacant plot owners to clear waste by Aug 15

Bengaluru: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has directed owners of vacant sites across the city to clear all waste and debris from their properties by August 15, warning that civic authorities will remove the waste and recover the cost from owners if they fail to comply.

The directive forms part of the "Freedom from Waste" campaign, a month-long cleanliness drive to be undertaken in August to make Bengaluru cleaner, more liveable and aesthetically appealing.

As part of the campaign, city corporations and other agencies under the GBA will jointly remove black spots, construction and demolition (C&D) waste, debris, tree branches, electric poles, pipes and other waste materials from roads and public spaces.


The GBA said Clause 18(1)(b) of the Solid Waste Management Bye-laws, 2020, makes it mandatory for owners to keep vacant sites clean and hygienic.

If owners fail to clear their sites by August 15, the city corporation concerned will remove the waste and recover the cost based on the size of the property and the quantity of waste removed. The amount will be collected along with property tax under the provisions of the Solid Waste Management Bye-laws, 2020, and the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024.

In case of non-payment, the dues will be recovered under the Karnataka Land Revenue Act, 1964.

The GBA also warned that violators will face a penalty of Rs 25,000 for the first offence and between Rs 50,000 and Rs 1 lakh for subsequent violations, as provided under the Solid Waste Management Bye-laws.

Citizens can report uncleared vacant sites after August 15 by sending photographs along with GPS coordinates to the GBA's WhatsApp chatbot number, 94481 97197. The authority said the identity of complainants will be kept confidential.

The GBA has also advised owners to fence or build compound walls around cleaned vacant sites to prevent unauthorised dumping of waste in future.

The "Freedom from Waste" campaign will run through August and bring together city corporations and other GBA agencies in a coordinated effort to improve cleanliness and public spaces across Bengaluru.