Mysuru City Corporation’s recent anti‑footpath encroachment drive, hailed as a step to free pedestrian space, has yielded only a brief respite; within days vendors have returned to sidewalks in several parts of Mysuru, with residents noting that enforcement was largely limited to central zones while footpaths elsewhere remain blocked, raising doubts about the drive’s lasting impact.
Vendors have re‑occupied footpaths at multiple sites, including the Central Business District (CBD), after a short pause following the eviction operation, and encroachments persist around Devaraja Market where traffic congestion is already a serious problem, with stalls spilling onto both sidewalks and the roadway.
“It is tough even to enter Devaraja Market,” said Sarojini M, a resident of Agrahara, adding that the entire area is now encroached.
Civic activist Raghu Gowda argued that clearing the road and footpath encroachments around Devaraja Market, Chamaraja Double Road and the road linking the Suburban Bus Stand would markedly improve traffic flow and pedestrian movement in the CBD, but noted that vendors are operating without fear of the law.
Bhaskar Shrinivasa Raje Urs, vice‑president (South) of the National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), said vendors who hold identity cards and are registered with the MCC are complying with guidelines, and blamed the bulk of the problem on out‑of‑state vendors who illegally occupy sidewalks. He urged authorities to provide dedicated arrangements for street vendors during Dasara, similar to provisions made for events such as the Open Street Festival.
“If you visit the urban pockets around the city, there is no end to this menace. Footpaths have been encroached upon extensively, but there is hardly any action,” remarked Ravi Kirthi Gowda, a resident of Dattagalli.