Workers dismantle a chaat stall on Church Street on Friday. Snehal R, BBMP’s East Zone Commissioner, supervises the work.
Credit: DH Photo/BK Janardhan
Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), in collaboration with police officials, launched a drive on Friday to clear all stalls encroaching upon the pedestrian pathway along Church Street.
Led by Snehal R, BBMP’s East Zone Commissioner, the operation aimed to restore the footpaths for public use, with regular patrols by marshals planned to prevent future encroachments.
Around 70 illegal structures, mostly food stalls, were removed during the drive.
The BBMP estimates that over 500 such stalls typically operate on weekends. Officials had warned the hawkers to vacate the footpath earlier in the day, but those who failed to comply saw their stalls dismantled and seized by trucks and cargo vans.
The action followed multiple complaints from residents and a local association, who said hawkers had usurped footpaths, leaving no space for pedestrians. They also raised concerns about the unhygienic conditions of the food stalls and poor waste disposal practices, which contributed to increased litter in the area.
“Footpaths were cleared of encroachments while genuine street vendors were untouched,” said Snehal. “We will deploy marshals, and the police will patrol regularly to ensure the footpaths remain free. Some vendors were operating without permission, using gas stoves, and these cannot be considered legitimate street vending.”
She added that the BBMP had been monitoring the situation for three months and noticed a recent surge in illegal vendors. “The mixed waste left by these vendors created a nightmare for our cleaning staff. Pedestrians were forced to walk on the road, risking their safety.”
While most hawkers vacated before officials arrived, some witnessed the clearance of their stalls.
Salim, a vendor who sold rolls and chaat in front of Brigade Gardens, was in tears as his food cart was taken away despite his efforts to resist the removal.