GBA to start fire audits in sensitive areas in city, violators to face criminal cases

A view of the Greater Bengaluru office building | Photo credit: File Photo

The Bengaluru City Corporations with the fire brigade will start a fire safety audit in sensitive areas across the city and initiate criminal proceedings against building owners who do not meet the mandatory fire safety norms.

M. Maheshwar Rao, chief commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), on Friday directed officials to take action against building owners in vulnerable localities who do not install fire-fighting systems.

He also ordered officials to install fire hydrants along newly white-coated roads in vulnerable areas to ensure adequate water supply during fires. According to him, hydrants must be checked every month, properly maintained and any defects removed immediately.

Project information board

Mr. Rao also instructed the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to compulsorily install project information boards at every work site. He also directed all the departments to ensure that the cutting works are completed within the stipulated time and that the roads are restored with high quality. The guidelines were followed by Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda and reprimanded the civic bodies for carrying out the road works for a long time causing inconvenience to the public.

Mr. Rao also directed the officials to speed up the ongoing construction work on major arterial and sub-arterial roads and start asphalting work at the earliest.

Special drives

On the ongoing drive against abandoned vehicles, the Chief Commissioner said that since July 10, stickers are being issued and the traffic police have been instructed to tow away vehicles that are not cleared.

The meeting also reviewed preparations for the month-long ‘Freedom from Waste’ campaign to be held in Bengaluru in August. The city corporations, K-RIDE, railways and Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) have been directed to jointly identify sites with construction and demolition waste, earth piles, overgrown vegetation and other waste.

Among other decisions taken in the meeting, officials were directed to speed up the widening of the Sampigehalli main road, speed up the sterilization program for stray dogs, create city vending committees and speed up the issuance of new identity cards to street vendors. He also directed the officials to continue the drive against encroachment of sidewalks, make mandatory fire protection systems in KR Market and lay concrete floor in the leafy vegetable sales area and repair malfunctioning lifts in skywalks as soon as possible.

Published – 17 Jul 2026 21:56 IST