Bengaluru, July 13 -- The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has accelerated its footpath encroachment removal campaign, clearing nearly 500 km of pedestrian pathways across the city between July 1 and July 10.

Official figures show that encroachments were removed from a total of 490.55 km of roads across the city's five municipal zones. Bengaluru West topped the list with 122.62 km of cleared footpaths, followed by Bengaluru North (115.35 km), Bengaluru South (94.01 km), Bengaluru East (88.42 km) and Bengaluru Central (70.15 km).

The large-scale operation has restored pedestrian access in several parts of the city and has drawn appreciation from residents. However, the removal of roadside stalls has also affected hundreds of street vend...