No Notice Before Closure: BBMP To Go Tough Against Shops, Illegal Establishments In Bengaluru’s Narrow Lanes

BBMP will begin closing select commercial establishments located in areas where the road width is less than 40 feet and in residential areas in an effort to address the concerns of residents, reports Deccan Chronicle.

“We have been directed by the government to close down shops and commercial establishments located in areas where the road width is less than 40 feet in width. At the same time, we are also closing down shops, which do not have valid trade licence and are a hindrance in residential places. This time, we are directly closing them down without issuing any kind of notice,” said a senior Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) official

“We will also crack down on shops and establishments located in the basements of the buildings, which are supposed to be meant for parking of vehicles,” he added.

This announcement from the BBMP is in line with the state government's directive which had considered a detailed report on illegal commercialisation submitted by the residents’ welfare association.

All Bangalore Buildings In Danger?

On January 2019, BBMP had stated that all the 19 lakh buildings in the city would need to be demolished if the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) order on lake buffer zones and drains. In 2016, the NGT issued guidelines that barred construction activity within 75 metres of a lake’s boundary and near tertiary stormwater drains.

However, BBMP has appealed against the order.

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