Asking why officials are not taking road and footpath encroachments seriously, the Karnataka High Court on Monday observed that most accidents in cities occur due to road and pavement encroachments.
A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice D.H. Waghela and Justice S.N. Satyanarayana were hearing a petition, complaining about encroachment of a public road in Chintamani taluk.
People have to risk their lives and walk on the middle of the road as pavements are encroached, the Bench said, asking why officials hesitate to clear road encroachments by shopkeepers and others.
“They [officials] can carry out midnight operations to remove encroachments,” the Bench observed. The Bench noted that Bangalore had a good reputation in the past, which it was losing now due to mismanagement and encroachment of public properties.
In another case, a Division Bench comprising Justice K.L. Manjunath and Justice A.V. Chandrashekara asked the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to submit details, pertaining to works carried out for filling potholes on roads.
The Bench issued the direction during the hearing of a contempt of court petition complaining that the BBMP had not implemented the recommendations of a court-appointed expert committee on construction, repair and maintenance of public roads.
