BENGALURU: Bengalureans have high expectations from the upcoming Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike budget, including scrapping of tunnel roads, halting of funds for ad hoc projects like skydeck, a demolition team and prioritising road repairs.
Kathyayini Chamaraj, Executive Trustee, CIVIC -- an organisation working on civic issues, emphasised that instead of spending Rs 500 crore annually to transport garbage outside the city, BBMP should invest in decentralised waste management.
“For the same amount, all 24 lakh households in Bengaluru could receive compost bins worth Rs 1,200 each, while the remaining funds could be used to set up biomethanation plants in every ward for those unable to compost at home,” she suggested. By providing free biogas to residents near these plants, opposition to their setup can be mitigated.
On Bengaluru’s traffic woes, she advocated two-way Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) lanes on all arterial roads. “If buses offer the fastest commute, more people will switch to public transport, saving the city Rs 1 lakh crore on tunnel roads that won’t yield results for at least a decade,” she said. She recommended revamping roadside drains to channel stormwater into underground tunnels and adding percolation pits every 100 metres to recharge groundwater.
Sandeep Anirudhan, Convenor, Citizens’ Agenda for Bengaluru, urged BBMP to focus on basic road maintenance by fixing potholes and removing encroachments. With the demolition of illegal structures halted for the last one year, activists are pushing for a dedicated demolition team equipped with adequate funds, manpower, equipment, and even explosives to systematically demolish illegal buildings and layouts.