No space to walk

Shrinking road space in residential-area arterial and sub-arterial roads

Sir,

We welcome the recent drives by Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) Commissioner M.K. Savitha to clear footpaths of vendors, encroachments and parked cars.

But another major issue is the encroachment of road space by residents, either owners or tenants, who occupy it illegally for their own purposes.

They are concretising the side spaces of roads and covering them with rods and metal sheets, dangerously extending into the main vehicle commuting area.

This is done to park their cars on roads. Recently, the trend has been towards big SUVs, as houses are built without parking space for one or more cars and two-wheelers, with construction extending end-to-end without setback areas.

Our CM has strictly ordered that setback areas should not be concretised, as this prevents water absorption and results in the depletion of groundwater levels. But the rules remain only on paper and are not followed, as there is no fear of strict legal action being taken by the authorities concerned.

Additionally, rainwater drains are covered with slabs and the slope for the flow of water is obstructed, rendering the drains useless for their intended purpose.

As a result, rainwater or water from the daily washing of the front areas of houses flows onto the roads and gets accumulated, leading to the  formation of potholes.

No wonder many small lakes are dry, as rainwater does not flow towards these lakes. Due to these illegal occupations, people cannot walk and face danger from oncoming speeding vehicles while also having to avoid garbage strewn along the side spaces. Some garden lovers create gardens on the side spaces, even putting up fences and blocking the way.

The latest trend is for builders to construct permanent rooms for watchmen and store rooms for building materials on the side spaces of roads, with toilets and wash areas built over drains. This blocks the movement of people and vehicles,   leading to accidents.

Corner houses encroach on more space, creating blind spots at turns and causing accidents. Can the MCC, Health Department and Traffic Police take action against these illegal encroachments?

—Alaknanda Murthy

Mysuru

27.8.2026