Footpath clearance drive finally spurs walkway redevelopment planning

Three months after the Bengaluru city corporations earmarked funds for footpath redevelopment in their maiden budgets in March, they are yet to draw up action plans for the works. However, the footpath clearance drive launched across the city following directions from the new Greater Bengaluru Development Minister, Krishna Byre Gowda, has prompted the corporations to finally begin planning the redevelopment announced in the budget.

Among the five corporations, the North City Corporation had set an ambitious target of improving 1,000 km of footpaths across its jurisdiction. The corporation had set aside ₹18 crore exclusively for footpath development.

Pommala Sunil Kumar, Commissioner of the North City Corporation, said the redevelopment would be carried out based on the condition of the footpaths. “If a footpath is completely unwalkable, we will reconstruct it. Otherwise, we will remove all obstacles and ensure a continuous, unobstructed walkway,” he said.

The corporation has earmarked ₹25 lakh per ward exclusively for footpath development.

“For more than three projects, work orders have been issued, while tenders are under way for additional works. We have taken up a study to identify locations, and works will be taken up at the identified spots,” he said.

Mr. Kumar said that wherever the Defect Liability Period (DLP) is applicable, contractors are being held accountable and directed to repair the walkways as well.

Lokhande Snehal Sudhakar, additional commissioner of the East City Corporation, said the corporation is in the process of preparing an action plan but will wait for the ongoing footpath clearance drive to be completed so that the cleared stretches can also be included.

The South and Central City corporations are yet to draw up their plans, as redevelopment works are currently under way using other available funds. No official from the West City Corporation was available for comment.

At present, footpath development works are being carried out using funds released by the State government at the end of 2025 and those announced recently by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.

Meanwhile, each corporation has separately earmarked more than ₹15 crore for footpath development in its budget, for which action plans are yet to be prepared.

Recent funds

K.N. Ramesh, Commissioner of the South City Corporation, told The Hindu that funds under the Chief Minister’s Infrastructure Development Programme (CMIDP) are available, and the State government has also released ₹2,000 crore, of which ₹328 crore has been earmarked for the South City Corporation and is currently being utilised.

“Funds have been released in different phases, so it is better to plan works based on the type of fund available,” he explained. The Central and East City Corporations are also following a similar approach.

Action plans have already been prepared for these funds, and the tendering process is currently under way.

Major roads get a boost

Mr. Sudhakar said they are prioritising arterial and sub-arterial roads while preparing the action plan so that the works are aligned with the ongoing footpath clearance drive. Another source said that prioritising major roads would also improve last-mile connectivity, encouraging more citizens to use public transport, one of the objectives of the footpath clearance drive.

According to Mr. Kumar, the selection of stretches is also being carried out through citizen participation. “Under the ‘Walkaluru’ initiative, we walked every weekend with residents and identified stretches that require redevelopment,” he said. A similar approach is being adopted by the other corporations as well.

Will take two months

However, according to Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) sources, citizens can expect visible improvements only after two to three months, as the works still have to go through the tendering process and on-ground execution is yet to begin.

Sujith Cariappa of Social Amenities Association, HAL II Stage, said footpaths must be free of parked cars or structures spilling out from shops. “We are asking for a clear, continuous walking path. We want the encroachments removed, yes, but we also want the footpaths rebuilt properly afterwards. Clearance alone isn’t enough if the footpath returns to neglect or gets re-encroached in a few months,” he said, adding that the GBA must follow up with regular inspections.

(This is the fourth in a series in which The Hindu looks at what ails Bengaluru’s footpaths, the problems faced by the various stakeholders, and what civic agencies are doing to make them safer)