Bengaluru is at the front and centre of the Karnataka government’s civic reformation undertaken since June, when D K Shivakumar took charge. From managing garbage to clearing encroachment, there is a sustained effort to declutter the city. Since the appointment of Krishna Byre Gowda as minister in charge of Greater Bengaluru, there is a perceptible change towards no-nonsense implementation on the ground. Starting with the city’s two biggest woes—garbage and traffic—Gowda is implementing new ideas backed by tough rules. He has announced a ‘Freedom from Garbage’ campaign to get rid of construction debris from public spaces, and promised a scientific waste management system in the next few months. Roads are being relaid and a greening campaign is on. Roadsides are being cleared of encroaching shops, vehicles and garbage to improve mobility. The displacement of vendors may have made the minister unpopular, but he has ploughed on with the promise of rehabilitation—the outcome of which is awaited. Such moves are being implemented in the state’s tier-2 cities, too.
It’s part of a wider vision drawn up by the Chief Minister, whose ambitious 25-year urban transformation blueprint includes tunnels inspired by Zurich’s network, 10-lane roads, a traffic grid system, new satellite cities and a second airport for the capital, with technology to improve the ease of doing business. The Congress government is looking at capitalising on Bengaluru’s economic advantages as home to 26 lakh tech professionals, over 65,000 IT companies and 22,000 startups.
Hopes are high for the much-needed makeover driven by two men on a mission with a ₹1.50-lakh-crore budget. However, it is not enough to spruce up only showcase areas where the resident associations are vocal. Real change should be reflected in the market areas and the city’s innards. Shivakumar also has his eyes firmly set on the Greater Bengaluru Authority elections, which have been deferred multiple times. His team will have to put in hard work to win over a section of the city’s committed BJP vote base.
The Kanakapura boy, fortuitously named Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar, often invokes Bengaluru founder Kempegowda and his own mentor S M Krishna, the former CM known for development. While Shivakumar claims to have drawn up plans for the next 25 years, his immediate goal is to win the battle of Bengaluru, followed by the 2028 Assembly elections.