BENGALURU: Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on Wednesday said ward-wise issues like bad roads, potholes, drains, street lights, and other local concerns will be prioritised under the ‘One Ward, One Drive’ initiative starting November 1 across five City Corporations under Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA).
Addressing the media after holding a meeting with senior officials of the GBA and five city corporations, the minister said a survey will be taken up and completed by November 7 by officials. Based on these assessments, a prioritised action plan will be prepared and implemented in coordination with the departments concerned.
“The campaign will bring together the GBA, the five city corporations and other government agencies to address these issues through coordinated, ward-level action. Special focus will be given on junction improvements, footpaths, streetlights, drainage infrastructure and removal of waste and debris,” said the minister.
Other key works will include repairing footpath kerb stones and slabs, fixing manhole covers, restoring streetlights, and removing dry and potentially hazardous tree branches.
“The initiative will also address civic infrastructure issues requiring coordination across departments, including the repair or relocation of BESCOM electricity poles and RMU units, preventing water leakage, and repairing or removing damaged water pipelines wherever necessary. The objective is to resolve as many identified problems as possible by the end of November while improving the overall cleanliness, safety and appearance of the selected wards,” Byre Gowda stressed.
Emphasising road and junction improvements, he directed officials to give special attention to repairing and upgrading junctions to help ease traffic congestion. Ward-level officials will be provided with a checklist to systematically assess sanitation and infrastructure deficiencies.
Assistant engineers, junior health inspectors and marshals will inspect roads and public spaces, identify outstanding issues and map each problem to the department responsible for resolving it, he stressed.
For effective implementation, committees comprising officials from the relevant departments will be formed at the divisional level across the five city corporations. These committees, headed by executive engineers, will coordinate civic works, monitor progress and develop a clear execution plan based on the time required to complete sanitation and infrastructure improvements in each selected ward.
He stressed that the campaign must go beyond isolated cleaning drives and deliver coordinated improvements to neighbourhoods by bringing all relevant agencies together.