Bengaluru: The city’s Safe Footpaths campaign continued for the second consecutive day Thursday, with GBA carrying out encroachment clearance drives across major roads.Bengaluru Central City Corporation cleared 8.5km of footpaths on 11 roads, including Residency Road, Old Madras Road and Gubbi Thotadappa Road near KSR Railway Station. Bengaluru North City Corporation covered 12.7 km across 10 roads, while the South City Corporation cleared 10.4 km on 12 roads.However, the impact of the drive remained limited in several areas. On stretches where encroachments were demolished on Wednesday, many shopkeepers had once again placed nameboards, baskets, crates and other merchandise on the footpaths, reclaiming the space within a day. TOI also found several otherwise well-built footpaths rendered unusable because of garbage dumping and poor maintenance. In many locations, authorities focused on removing vendors and commercial encroachments but paid little attention to clearing litter or repairing damaged pedestrian infrastructure.In JC Nagar and RT Nagar, well-laid footpaths along the Parachute Regiment Training Centre campus were dotted with garbage blackspots, forcing pedestrians, including schoolchildren and senior citizens, to walk on the carriageway.On Thursday, the North City Corporation carried out clearance drives at 5th Cross in HBR Layout under the Sarvagnanagar division, 5th Main Road in Ganganagar under the Hebbal division, Hesaraghatta Main Road from Saptagiri College to 8th Mile in the Dasarahalli division, Sahakar Nagar Main Road, Thanisandra Main Road and areas near MCECHS Layout in the Byatarayanapura division. The drive also covered Rachenahalli Main Road.The Central City Corporation continued its operations on Ashoka Pillar Road in Jayanagar and took up encroachment clearance on Mission Road, Mysore Bank Circle and 100 Feet Road in Indiranagar.The East City Corporation conducted drives from Hope Farm to Varthur Kodi in the Whitefield division, from Hoodi Flyover to Ayyappa Nagar, and along the Outer Ring Road in the Bellandur-Marathahalli division.The South City Corporation cleared encroachments along 11th Main Road in Jayanagar, while the West City Corporation undertook the drive along 50 Feet Road and near Srinagar Bus Stand in the Doddaganapathi subdivision of the Basavanagudi division.
