Krishna Byre Gowda at the GBA Executive Committee meeting. Photo: GBA.
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has directed officials to prepare a phased, long-term master plan for drinking water, roads and underground drainage across the entire Bengaluru Urban district, including areas beyond Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits.
He gave the direction while chairing the GBA’s fourth Executive Committee meeting at Vikas Soudha on Friday, October 30. The plan is to assess future infrastructure needs in line with Bengaluru’s faster-than-projected growth and set timelines for carrying out projects in phases.
Master plan to include areas beyond GBA limits
Byre Gowda said the planning exercise should cover the entire Bengaluru Urban district, not only the areas within GBA. Officials were asked to assess future drinking-water and sewerage requirements, upgrade existing roads and plan new roads in areas outside GBA limits according to the master plan.
Treated wastewater reuse to remain a priority
The minister highlighted the KC Valley project, which supplies treated wastewater from the Koramangala–Challaghatta valley to lakes in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts. Under the HN Valley project, treated water from the Hebbal–Nagawara valley is channelled to selected areas in Chikkaballapur and Bengaluru Rural and Urban districts. The Vrishabhavathi Valley project supplies treated water to lakes in Ramanagara and Tumakuru.
He also cited improved local groundwater levels after the replenishment of Yelahanka and Jakkur lakes, and called for more long-term projects to treat and reuse the city’s sewage.
Road-digging agencies to be made responsible for restoration
Byre Gowda said poor restoration after road excavation by government agencies, including the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), had contributed to public frustration, while city corporations were often held responsible for the resulting inconvenience.
A uniform policy and standard operating procedure are to set out which agency must restore a road, the required reinstatement standards, cost recovery and penalties for violations. The policy is also intended to prevent repeated damage to roads.
GPS feeder buses and integrated ticketing planned
The minister directed the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) to introduce GPS-enabled feeder buses within a 2–3 km radius of Metro stations, with fixed routes. He said stronger first- and last-mile links, including along the Outer Ring Road, would make Metro services more accessible.
The BMTC 2.0 mobile application allows passengers to book BMTC and Metro tickets through one platform, according to the minister. Plans are also under way to integrate private auto-rickshaw and taxi services with the app.
Nine additional fire stations approved
The release said nine additional fire stations had been approved across the five municipal corporations under GBA, in addition to the 20 existing stations. Officials were asked to map residential, commercial and high-risk areas and submit a proposal for locating the new facilities according to future requirements.
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