Pramesh S Jain
*Civic body begins cleaning vacant plots where owners have failed to act.
*Owners who clean their plots themselves will receive letters of appreciation.
*1.22 lakh metric tonnes of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste cleared so far.
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda appealed to owners of vacant plots across Bengaluru to clean and maintain their properties themselves,and thereby avoid the higher costs that will be incurred if the civic body has to undertake the work.
He was speaking after symbolically launching the civic body’s drive to clean vacant plots at Domlur in the Shantinagar Assembly constituency, following the expiry of the deadline given to property owners under the city-wide“Freedom from Waste”campaign.
30% of owners cleaned their plots;civic body steps in for the rest:
Since July 15,the civic body,in coordination with various government departments,has been undertaking a city-wide drive to clear construction and demolition (C&D) waste,overgrown vegetation and debris from public spaces.
Owners of private vacant plots were initially given time until August 15 to clean their properties themselves.
The deadline was subsequently extended by another week, until August 22.During this period,around 30% of vacant-plot owners cleaned their properties themselves, he said.
However,around 70% of vacant-plot owners have still not undertaken the cleaning.
Therefore, from today, the civic body will begin cleaning such vacant plots.
The cost incurred will be recovered from the respective property owners through their property tax, he said.
Keeping vacant plots clean is the owner’s responsibility:
Thanking those property owners who have cleaned their vacant plots themselves,the Minister said that keeping such properties clean is an important responsibility of owners.
“Despite appeals being made for nearly one-and-a-half months, many people have still not cleaned their plots. Weeds,bushes and overgrowth in vacant plots are leading to various problems,including flies, mosquitoes, snakes and rats.
This is also affecting the overall sanitation of the city. Citizens have been raising questions about this.This drive has been undertaken in the interest of keeping Bengaluru clean and improving the city,” he said.
Clean it yourself and save on the cost:
The Minister said property owners should preferably clean their vacant plots themselves rather than have the civic body undertake the work.
“It will cost you less if you clean your plot yourself than if the civic body does it. Keep your property clean and contribute to improving Bengaluru. I will personally send a letter of appreciation to owners who have cleaned their vacant plots themselves,” he said.
Charges fixed as per Schedule of Rates:
Many vacant plots have extensive overgrowth and require JCB machinery for cleaning, with a minimum of three hours needed to complete the work.
Due to restrictions on the movement of tippers, the waste can be transported for disposal only once a day.
The cleaning charges have been fixed according to the Schedule of Rates (SR) and based on the size of the vacant plot, he said.
No penalty for first-time cleaning:
If a compound wall has to be removed to carry out the cleaning, only the prescribed rate will be charged.The Minister said he had instructed officials not to levy any additional charges on plots that have gates.
“No penalty will be imposed when a vacant plot is cleaned for the first time. A penalty will be imposed as per the rules only if the same negligence is repeated,” the Minister clarified.
GBA Act makes plot maintenance a primary duty:
Under the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) Act, keeping vacant plots clean is a primary responsibility of property owners.
The Minister therefore appealed to owners to immediately clean their vacant plots and ensure that they remain clean and well-maintained.
1.22 lakh metric tonnes of C&D waste cleared:
The city-wide “Freedom from Waste” campaign has resulted in the clearance of 67,152 metric tonnes of C&D waste by the GBA.
In addition, 51,323 metric tonnes have been cleared by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA),728 metric tonnes by the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), 2,800 metric tonnes by the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), 560 metric tonnes by K-RIDE and 169 metric tonnes by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
BESCOM has also undertaken the removal/raising of 6,173 poles/rods,while Metro has cleared 2,143 cubic metres of waste.
With the combined efforts of all departments, a total of 1,22,732 metric tonnes of C&D waste has been cleared so far.
189 vacant plots identified for cleaning:
As part of efforts to create awareness among property owners who have failed to keep their vacant plots clean and to initiate the cleaning process, notices have been affixed to a total of 189 vacant plots across the five city corporations. Cleaning operations have commenced from today.
Central City Corporation: 53.
North City Corporation: 37.
West City Corporation: 41.
East City Corporation: 28.
South City Corporation: 30.
Total: 189.
BDA Chairman and Shantinagar MLA,N.A.Harris,GBA Chief Commissioner,Maheshwar Rao,Central City Corporation Commissioner,Jagadeesh G.Additional Commissioner Venkatachalapathi,Chief Engineers and other officials were present on the occasion.
