Despite spending ₹10 crore per kilometer, there is chaos

White topping still no solution to potholes

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Even roads that have been spent ₹10 crore per kilometer on concreting (white topping) instead of asphalt (black topping) have not been free from potholes.

BBMP has been planning to white topping all the main and sub-main roads of the city for many years. Many roads have been white topping. White topping work has started on many roads at a cost of ₹1800 crore. However, potholes are appearing on the white topping road, which was completed four years ago. These are not being repaired either.

It has not been a year since the white topping work that took three or four years on BVK Iyengar Road was completed, but potholes are visible there. The BBMP's promise that there will be no problems for about 25 years is a lie here. BVK Iyengar Road is just one example of how even the white-topped road is not free from potholes.

Potholes can be seen on many white-topped roads, including Mysore Road, Sumanahalli Ring Road, Indiranagar Road, Nrupatunga Road. The BBMP is not repairing them. The locals themselves pour stones and bricks found on the side of the road. Otherwise, the traffic police tell the driver of the concrete truck to pour concrete.

"For many years, there was a lot of trouble while white-topping BVK Iyengar Road. Even after the work was completed, potholes continue to appear here and there. No one comes if we complain. We have to clean up the mud and fix it ourselves," said Manohar, a trader.

A nightmare for citizens

When white-topping work begins on a road, residents in the vicinity have to endure at least a year of painful traffic. The work is carried out at a speed slower than a turtle. Vehicles cannot be taken out of their homes for months. Even the drainage work takes several months to complete. Thus, the white-topping work is a nightmare for citizens.

‘Six months have passed since the white-topping work of Govindarajanagar 1st Main Road began. Only one side of the drainage work has been completed on this road, which is less than a km long. They block one side or the other every day. Traffic is difficult,’ complained Chandrappa.

Neglect of ward roads

The Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Commissioner all inspect the main and sub-main roads. However, the Zonal Commissioner, not the Chief Engineer, but the Ward Engineer does not pay attention to the ward roads where the citizens live. 

Although there is a separate grant for the development of ward roads and repair of potholes, the roads are full of potholes due to the indifference of the Zonal Commissioner. Even after the rainy season begins, no repair work is done. The remaining money from this grant is spent on other work. The potholes remain as they are. This is a problem of the wards in eight zones.

‘Many roads in Rajarajeshwari Nagar ward are full of potholes. When a complaint is made, wet mix is ​​applied in one or two places. After a week, all the stones go away and the potholes reappear. Even though asphalt is applied in some places, the potholes are not completely closed,’ complained T.E. Srinivas.

 Motorists struggle on flooded roads without seeing potholes

Water-logged potholes: Vehicles in trouble

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Roads that become flooded during the rains in the city are posing a threat to the lives of motorists. Two-wheeler riders are getting into accidents without seeing the water-filled potholes.

When rainwater stands on the road, motorists have no idea about the presence of potholes or the depth of the potholes. In addition to driving in the rain, while riding without the road water splashing on them, if the vehicle hits a pothole, it loses control. Hundreds of two-wheeler riders are facing trouble due to this loss of control during the rains.

Even when there is no rain, accidents continue to occur on many roads due to potholes. Not all cases reach the police station. It is rare for accidents to be reported as accidents caused by trying to avoid potholes or potholes. However, hundreds of unreported accidents occur in the city due to potholes and end in fights.

Although BBMP engineers say that ‘potholes are being closed quickly, we are working on them every day’, there is no road without potholes in the city. Two-wheelers are the most likely to be involved in accidents due to potholes. There have been many cases of two-wheeler drivers losing control and falling when they avoid potholes or inevitably enter them. In many cases, when one vehicle rider falls, the riders of another or more vehicles fall. There are also chain accidents. 

Potholes are also a nightmare for auto drivers. If the front wheel or one of the rear wheels falls into a pothole, it becomes difficult to control. Due to this, cases of the auto overturning or falling on the vehicle next to it are also common in many areas of the city. 

‘Even after a little rain, there is water on the road in SJP Park Road, K.R. Market. It is impossible to tell where the potholes are on these roads and where they are not. Every time it rains, there is no difference between a road and a pothole filled with rainwater. “Every time it rains, auto and two-wheeler riders keep falling off the potholes,” said trader Mohammad Sheikh.

“There is constant traffic on the Old Madras Road at all hours of the day. It is difficult for two-wheelers to move between buses and trucks. When it rains, I have fallen off the water-filled potholes many times. Many of my friends have also had such accidents,” said Raghu, a resident of Indiranagar.

 Pothole-free roads remain as promised by CM, DCM, Chief Commissioner

Potholes: A hazard in all seasons

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Even though the rainy season and summer are over and the monsoon has started again, the promise of making the city's roads pothole-free has not been fulfilled. The disasters caused by potholes filled with rainwater have not reduced either.

Pothole repairs do not start in summer. Repairs are started a few days before the rainy season. BBMP officials and engineers say that if the rain starts, the potholes will be closed as soon as the rains stop. They say that the tender has been issued and the contractors will start work. By the time the work order is given, it starts raining again. They again give the excuse that potholes cannot be closed in the rain. Thus, potholes continue to increase in the city at all times, posing a problem for motorists.

BBMP officials have been saying since January that potholes will be closed and road maintenance will be done before the rainy season. Even though the pre-monsoon has started with a bang and the monsoon rains have started, potholes on the city roads are increasing.

Potholes on the city roads cause many types of disasters, and when it rains, the roads are flooded. In such cases, vehicles, especially two-wheeler riders, fall and get into trouble. Hundreds of such cases are not recorded.

When Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar visited the city in September 2024, they instructed BBMP engineers to take action to prevent potholes on the roads and gave them a deadline of one month. Although the repair work was brisk then, it almost stopped later.

‘Although the number of potholes is increasing day by day, it does not come to the attention of BBMP engineers. They asphalt good roads overnight. "They don't even put a single bit of asphalt on the pothole on the road next to it," complained Srinivas, a resident of Malleshwaram.

BBMP engineers, who used to give figures that there were 1,700, 1,900 potholes in all zones of the city, wrote a 'record' by closing 16,000 potholes in September 2024 when Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar made an order and gave a deadline of 15 days to close the potholes.

Zonal commissioners and chief engineers, including the Chief Commissioner, worked on the roads day and night to repair the potholes. As soon as the Deputy Chief Minister returned from abroad, he worked on the very first day he wanted to receive his farewell. That is why he showed in large pictures that the potholes, which were said to be around two thousand, had been repaired to 16 thousand. After that, the apathy towards the potholes continued.

The then Chief Commissioner of BBMP, Tushar Girinath, said that ‘thousands of new potholes are emerging every day’, but all the chief engineers and zonal officers kept saying the same thing. They gave the excuse that the continuous work of repairing potholes will never end. Therefore, in the last six months, potholes have not been identified and statistics have not been collected. They have retained the information given by the traffic police as statistics.

Repairs in a hurry: Maheshwar Rao

The work of closing potholes on main and sub-main roads is underway. Although it cannot be said that they have closed everything, the repair work is going on in a hurry. It has been instructed to close the potholes on ward roads with the funds of the zones. A tender has been called for it and the repair work will begin in a few days. Since the rainy season has started, work will be done during the rain break. It has been instructed to keep hot mix and cold mix ready. In case of emergency, the potholes will be repaired by applying wet mix, said BBMP Chief Commissioner M. Maheshwar Rao.

647 Potholes Repaired in 10 Days: Lokesh

‘The traffic police also said that there are about 647 potholes on the main and sub-main roads. In addition, road potholes are being closed based on the complaints received by the BBMP, including the ‘Road Attention’ app. The existing potholes will be closed in 10 days. If they are closed from one side, new potholes will appear on the other side. This is a continuous process. We are working at a fast pace. The contractors have been instructed to keep all types of mixes, including cold and hot, ready, and the potholes are being closed,’ said Lokesh, Chief Engineer of the Road Infrastructure Department.

DCM, who remained in his statement, rides a bike!

‘BBMP staff have created a record by closing 16 thousand potholes. However, I do not believe their words. The bike that I used during my college days has been prepared. I will go to all the roads in it. The officials only show the main roads. I will observe the internal roads by riding a bike,’ said Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had said in September 2024.

The Deputy Chief Minister, who did not believe the words of the BBMP engineers, had said in his own style that he would check the potholes and make the roads pothole-free. However, even after making that statement, Shivakumar has not even got on a bike for eight months, nor has he ever ridden on the city roads. Therefore, the BBMP engineers have also stopped identifying the potholes on the roads. They keep making many excuses for the repair work. They are claiming the same ‘record’ of repairing 16,000 potholes in 2024.

BBMP TDR for Greater Bengaluru

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The Urban Development Department has issued an order to use the ‘Development Right Certificate (DRC)’ or ‘Transfer of Development Right (TDR)’ letters obtained under the jurisdiction of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) in the ‘Greater Bengaluru’ jurisdiction.

The BBMP jurisdiction covers the area of ​​more than one local planning authority, including the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Area Planning Authority (BMICPA). 

Thus, the BBMP had submitted a proposal on July 27, 2020, requesting that DCRs be allowed to be used in any area of ​​the BBMP.

Considering this, the government has amended Section 13 of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act, 1961. This means that DCR or TDR can be used anywhere within the BBMP or Greater Bengaluru Area (GBA) and in the areas that will be included in GBA in the future. The order issued on June 10 stated that the jurisdiction of any planning authority including BDA, BMICPA will not hinder this.

Peenya Industrial Area now ‘Peenya Special Investment Zone’

Bengaluru: The Commerce and Industry Department has ordered that the city’s Peenya 1, 2, 3 and 4th phase industrial areas be named ‘Peenya Special Investment Zone’.

The Peenya Industrial Area, which is spread over an area of ​​1,416 acres in several survey numbers of Nelagedarahalli, Laggere, Chokkasandra, Peenya, has been designated as ‘Peenya Special Investment Zone’ as per the Karnataka Special Investment Zone Act- 2022. The Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) has been designated as the ‘Regional Development Authority’ for this zone.

The ‘Peenya Special Investment Zone’ has been designated as an industrial township and all management has been entrusted to the KIADB.

 BBMP: No OC for a building constructed from July 1

No building plan without e-khata

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: No building plan approval or building commencement certificate (CC) will be available from July 1 for sites under BBMP jurisdiction if they do not have e-khata.

The e-khata system for digitization along with re-verification of site documents was implemented in the BBMP jurisdiction in September 2024. Although draft e-khatas have been prepared for 25 lakh sites, about 5 lakh final e-khatas have been issued so far.

All owners of sites and buildings under BBMP jurisdiction must obtain e-khata. Although no deadline has been given for obtaining e-khata, lakhs of owners have not yet obtained the draft e-khata. Lakhs more owners have not submitted documents to obtain final e-khata.

As a first step, e-khata is being made mandatory for obtaining building plan and CC. In addition, even if buildings under construction are already required to obtain an Occupancy Certificate (OC), it will be mandatory to submit an e-Khata.

As per the Supreme Court order, the BBMP has implemented rules from January to be implemented on unauthorized buildings and buildings being constructed in violation of the plan, and buildings without OC and CC cannot be provided with electricity, water, and sewerage connections.

The issuance of building maps to those with ‘manual khata’ will be stopped from July 1. Applications will have to be submitted through the ‘Nambike Karthi’ website, where a temporary building map will be available within a day. E-Khata will be mandatory while applying for a building map online. With this, there is no need to submit other documents related to the property. Since property tax, purchase deed, location of the property (latitude, longitude), owner’s photo, Aadhaar are all entered in the e-Khata itself, all these documents will be available online. Only the documents related to the map will have to be submitted, informed the BBMP Urban Planning Department officials. 

The temporary plan , which is created in a day under the ‘Nambike Nakahe’ system, must be confirmed by the concerned Town plan assistant director within the time limit. If it is not rejected with reasons, the building plan will be automatically approved in the software. The Chief Commissioner has directed the Joint Director of Town Planning to take disciplinary action against the officers responsible for Auto-approval. 

‘E-Khata: The process is easy’

‘Property owners can easily obtain e-Khata through BBMP’s website BBMPeAasthi.karnataka.gov.in. Instead of paying extra money to brokers and getting cheated, they can also obtain e-Khata online, Bangalore One, and from Jansevaks,’ said Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner, Revenue Department, BBMP.

‘To obtain e-Khata, Aadhaar, purchase order number, property tax payment number, BESCOM account number, and property images should be submitted in the application. The final e-Khata will be available within a couple of days of submitting the documents. About three thousand applications are received every day, and three thousand e-khatas are being issued every day, he said.

If the owner calls the website https://janasevaka.karnataka.gov.in/ and 080-49203888, the ‘janasevakas’ will apply for the e-khata and upload the documents from the doorstep. A fee of ₹45 will be charged for the e-khata application, ₹5 for each page scanned and uploaded, and ₹115 for the door-to-door service of the Janasevaka. If the number of pages of documents increases, ₹5 will be added for each page.

25 lakhs; Draft e-khatas uploaded

4,94,882; Applications submitted for obtaining final e-khata

4,84,975; Final e-khata explanation

79,089; E-khatas distributed in Bommanahalli zone

76,309; R.R. E-Khatas distributed in the urban zone

75,167; E-Khatas distributed in the Mahadepur zone

66,707; E-Khatas distributed in the southern zone

65,091; E-Khatas distributed in the Yelahanka zone

49,361; E-Khatas distributed in the western zone

45,334; E-Khatas distributed in the eastern zone

27,917; E-Khatas distributed in the Dasarahalli zone 

24 thousand applications for new Khatas

24,082 owners of properties in BBMP who do not have Khatas have applied for new Khatas.

On the instructions of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who said that ‘all the plots in the city should get Khatas and come under the tax jurisdiction’, the BBMP has implemented a system to get new Khatas from January to bring all the properties under the tax jurisdiction. The application can be submitted on the website https://BBMP.karnataka.gov.in/NewKhata. 

‘More than five lakh property owners in the city do not have any BBMP account. About 3,900 new accounts have been distributed. 19,777 applications are pending in the login of revenue officers. About two thousand applications are pending with case workers. A lot of documents have to be verified to issue a new account. Although there is a time of 60 days to complete the process, the Revenue Officers (ROs) have been instructed to complete it quickly,’ said Munish Moudgil, Special Commissioner, Revenue Department, BBMP.

 Recruitment from the Education Department remains a promise

BBMP: Guest teachers are the only Option

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The corporation has decided to appoint 378 guest teachers through SDMC and CDC, failing to fulfill its promise of two years ago to appoint teachers for BBMP schools and colleges.

The process of removing the outsourcing system and directly appointing teachers/lecturers for BBMP schools and colleges from the Education Department has not started even after a year and a half of the promise.

Teachers were being recruited on an outsourcing basis through private organizations in BBMP schools and colleges. The contracts were being renewed every year. In May 2024, an agreement was reached to hire teachers on an outsourcing basis through detective and security agencies. When there was resistance to this, Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had said that teachers would be appointed for BBMP schools from the Education Department itself.

‘15 to 20 percent of the teachers teaching in BBMP schools and colleges do not have the appropriate qualifications. The School Education and Literacy Department provides head teachers and assistant teachers to BBMP schools. The number of permanent teachers is decreasing day by day. Not all the outsourced teachers are eligible to continue,’ said the then Chief Commissioner of BBMP, Tushar Girinath, on January 8, 2024.

‘Teachers and lecturers in BBMP schools and colleges should continue through agencies as before. ‘Outsourced’ should be removed and BBMP should appoint them on contract basis. Service security should be provided,’ demanded the outsourced teachers and went on strike.

Teachers and lecturers are appointed by the School Development and Supervision Committee (SDMC) and the College Development Council (CDC). BBMP officials had said that those who are eligible can apply and join. This process was done in the year 2024-25 and guest teachers and lecturers were recruited.

BBMP, which has calculated the shortage of teachers in the year 2025-26, has decided to recruit guest teachers and lecturers through SDMC and CDC. The Chief Commissioner has issued a circular in this regard, instructing that the process of recruiting guest teachers should be completed by June 16.

‘Our experience and hard work are priceless’

‘It was promised that the Education Department would remove outsourcing and make permanent appointments. Although this process was supposed to be done in the last academic year itself, since it was the first year, we will recruit guest teachers. They had said that permanent appointments would be made next year. However, guest teachers are being recruited for the academic year 2025-26 as well. Those who have taught for 10-15 years have to prove their achievements every year. Our experience and hard work are not valued in BBMP,” lamented a teacher.

‘The government has a proposal’

‘The education department has a proposal to recruit teachers for BBMP schools and colleges. No decision has been made yet. Therefore, guest teachers are being appointed. The guest teachers who taught in the 2024-25 academic year were released from service in April itself. They can also come as guest teachers for the 2025-26 academic year. They will be given priority in the ratio of 1:3,’ informed an education department official.

93 Kindergartens

15 Guest Teachers to be posted

16 Primary Schools

16 Guest Teachers to be posted

35 High Schools

100 Guest Teachers to be posted

20 Undergraduate Colleges

181 Guest Lecturers to be posted

4 Degree Colleges/ 2 Postgraduate Colleges

66 Guest Lecturers to be posted

Guest Teachers/ Lecturers' Honorary Remuneration

₹19,366.20; Kindergarten, Primary School

₹22,840.65; High School

₹25,697.10; Undergraduate College

₹27,897.50; Degree College 

₹30,897.50; Postgraduate College

₹25,697.10; Computer Guest Lecturers

₹22,053.05; Computer Guest Teachers

 * Fee as per guideline rate of 5%

* Minimum 30 feet road mandatory

* Cost of getting A-Khata is around ₹3 lakh

All plots under BBMP, BDA are legal

B-Khata will be A Khata; get all the facilities

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: B-Khata plots under BBMP and BDA will get all facilities along with A-Khata, for which a fee of 5% of the guideline rate will have to be paid.

The corporation will stop the process of issuing B-Khata in BBMP limits, and A-Khata will be available for all existing B-Khata plots or buildings. If the people of a plot or a block apply to the corporation to issue A-Khata for their plots, it will examine everything and take action. Under the guidance of Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, all these rules have been formulated by the officials of the BBMP Urban Planning Department and its proposal has been submitted to the government.

The private road next to the B-khata plot should be at least 30 feet. Otherwise, the owners of the plots on both sides should agree to give up the deficient area equally on the road and register it. That is, if there are B-khata plots on a 25-foot road, the remaining five feet should be left by the plots on both sides and two and a half feet each. This will be the first criterion. 

Once the 30-foot road is fixed, that road will be declared a public road as per rules 225-226 of the BBMP Act. The owners of the B-khata plots have to pay a fee of 5% of the guideline rate fixed under the Registration and Stamp Act to the BBMP. The fee for a 30-foot x 40-foot plot with a guideline rate of ₹5,000 is about ₹3 lakh. Along with this, there are other expenses of about ₹25,000. After paying this, the A-khata will be available. All the facilities of the corporation, including the building plan, and the facilities of BESCOM and Jal Board can be obtained.

All the plot holders with B-khata on the survey numbered land can apply together or separately. BBMP urban planning officials informed that the process will be completed and all the documents, including A-khata, will be provided to those who apply.

If there is a 30-foot road, no registration is required. If a fee of 5 percent is paid as per the guideline rate, the remaining processes will take place. If the road with B-khata plot is maintained by BDA or BBMP, then the BBMP officials will declare the road a public road after the application is submitted. Due to this, the name of the old owner in the plat will change. No one will be able to claim it as their property in the future.

This facility is available only for a single plot of 20 guntas or 20 thousand square feet. If there is a single plot of more than this, it is mandatory to have 15 percent garden and at least 30 feet of road. Revenue layouts can also regularize all their plots under this system. There is no need for a land conversion process.

If a building has been constructed on a B-khata plot, they will also get an A-khata and a map. If there is a situation where it is not possible to leave a 30-foot road, the plot will get an A-khata. However, the building will be recorded as unauthorized.

There are about 3.5 lakh B-khata plots under the BBMP and BDA limits, all of which are expected to get A-khata and be regularized.

Setback: Regularization up to 15 percent

A proposal is before the state government to regularize setback violations in buildings constructed under BBMP limits up to 15 percent.

BBMP has submitted a proposal to exempt residential building setback rules. Currently, a 5% violation can be regularized in the setback. This will be increased to 15%.

In addition, there is a proposal to exempt residential buildings built on small plots from the setback rules. When constructing a residential building on a plot with a width of 20 feet from the road side, a three-foot space (setback) should be left only in front. In plots up to 30 feet, there is no need to leave space behind the building. When constructing a building on a plot from 30 feet to 40 feet, space should be left around it according to its size. The BBMP has submitted a proposal to the government to amend the zoning rules in this regard.

Ground floor reserved for parking; permission for 4th floor

It will be made mandatory to reserve the ground floor of a building for parking in the city.

BBMP is giving permission to ground floor and three-storey (G+3) buildings. Henceforth, the ground floor should be limited to parking. If it is used in any other way, BBMP has made a rule to disconnect the BESCOM and water board connection.

Buildings with ground floor reserved for parking will be allowed to build a fourth floor (G+4) with the same setback. This facility will be available for buildings up to 21 meters high.

Those who have already built G+3 buildings, if they completely reserve the ground floor for parking, will also be allowed to build another floor. BBMP urban planning officials said that it has been decided to implement such a system to reduce parking on the road.

Park mandatory in apartments

It will be mandatory for apartments built in the area of ​​2,000 square meters to 10,000 square meters under BBMP and BDA to develop 15 percent of the land as a Park.

In this regard, the Urban Development Department has issued a draft notification amending Section 13-E of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act and changing the zoning rules of the Revised Master Plan-2015.

A park has been made mandatory in the layouts of dozens of sites, and similarly, such a change has been made mandatory in apartments with hundreds of houses, said urban planning officials.

In addition to the garden in 15 percent of the land, the setback has been increased to 6 meters. This will allow space to be reserved for growing plants and trees around the apartments. These measures are being taken to retain rainwater in the city and control flooding in the Rajakaluves.

In the case of non-residential, mixed-use apartments, the garden area has been fixed at 10 percent and the parking area at 5 percent.

Buildings between 55 square meters and 2,000 square meters will be charged a garden construction fee instead of allocating land for the garden. 5 percent of the guideline rate will have to be paid as a fee. The draft notification states that the planning authority should maintain a separate escrow account to receive this fee. There is a 30-day period to file objections.

‘Sankey Lake: Preserve the MudBank’

‘Sankey Lake: Let the MudBank remain’ 

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: Citizens for Sankey has demanded that the MuDBank in Sankey Lake be preserved.

‘A large area in Sankey Lake has been developed with concrete, and the dilapidated MudBank should be preserved as a natural ‘mud Bank’. It should not be concretised in any way,’ the ‘Citizens for Sankey’ has written a letter to BBMP’s Special Commissioner of Lakes Department, Preeti Gehlot.

‘We are not opposing the construction of a Track in the lake. But it should not spoil the eco-friendly environment. There is only a small area of ​​mud Bank left in Sankey Lake. It should be strengthened and preserved,’ they have demanded.

‘Many species of birds are in Sankey Lake. They build nests and live with their young. A natural habitat is necessary for biodiversity. Therefore, if the walking track lined with plants is kept free from soil, it will be beneficial for birds and insects,” said.

“The water flowing into the lake is treated due to the presence of soil. The groundwater is recharged. The soil acts like a ‘sponge’ and retains moisture,” said members of the ‘Citizens for Sankey’ of the 

Sadashivnagar Residents Welfare Association.

Full letter goes like this…

We are writing to urgently request that you retain the last remaining natural mudbank at Sankey Tank Lake and not cover it with concrete or gabion walls as part of the current walkway development

To be clear, we are not opposing the construction of the walkway. However, this must not come at the cost of total ecological destruction. The small patch of mudbank remaining is the last soft edge of the lake and it is ecologically irreplaceable.

Why this mudbank must be preserved:

Critical for biodiversity: Birds such as cormorants, purple moorhens, herons, and many others depend on muddy, shallow edges to feed, nest, and rest. Insects, amphibians, and small reptiles also use these moist zones for survival. These species cannot adapt to vertical, stone-reinforced edges like gabion walls.

Essential for lake health: Mudbanks naturally filter runoff, stabilise shorelines, and allow for groundwater recharge - functions that gabions and concrete cannot perform.

Vital during droughts: Last year, during the drought, water levels in Sankey Tank fell to alarming lows. One reason is the increased concretisation, which has eliminated the lake's natural ability to retain and slowly release water. Mudbanks act like sponges they absorb and hold moisture, supporting the lake's resilience.

Gabion walls are not a one-size-fits-all solution: While gabion walls may help with erosion in certain sections, converting 100% of the lake's edge into hardened surfaces is ecologically disastrous. Experts recommend keeping at least 20-30% of any lake edge natural and porous. Sankey Tank has already lost most of its soft shoreline - this final patch must be preserved.

Protected by environmental law: The Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act (2014)and Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules (2017) both require the protection of the ecological character of lakes. Concreting over every last natural edge violates the intent of these policies.

Our request:

Continue the walkway plan, but 

Leave the last natural mudbank untouched, without covering it with gabion walls or concrete

Protect and maintain this patch as a living shoreline, essential for biodiversity and water health

We are happy to meet your team to explore alternatives that balance ecological preservation with public access. We urge you to act immediately before irreversible damage is done.

Citizens for Sankey
(Sadashivnagar Residents Welfare Association)

 New tenders invited for 33 packages; Contract for 7 years

Garbage disposal: ₹544 crore per year

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Tenders have been invited for 33 new packages for Garbage disposal under the BBMP limits, with an estimated annual cost of ₹544.91 crore.

The corporation has invited 33 division-wise tenders for primary waste collection, secondary waste transfer, and collection of road sweepings within the limits of the corporation. Although the tender mentions division, it covers the scope of the assembly constituency.

The tender has been invited by the Bangalore Solid Waste Management Company (BSWML), stating that the waste should be collected in a segregated manner. Partnership companies including NGOs and trusts can participate in the tender. However, there is a condition that only one package will be given to each person.

The tender was invited on May 28 and bids should be submitted by June 27. The tender will be opened on June 30.

Out of the 27 assembly constituencies under BBMP jurisdiction (excluding Anekal), one package has been allotted for 21 assembly constituencies. Two packages have been allotted for Bangalore South, Dasarahalli, Mahadevapura, K.R. Pura, Yeshwantpur, Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituencies. Although the total is estimated at ₹544.91 crore, this is likely to increase in the bid. The bids were 18 to 60 percent higher than the last time 89 packages were invited.

89 packages now 33 packages!: 

The Bangalore Solid Waste Management Company (BSWML) had invited tenders in September 2022 for all types of waste management, including primarily waste collection, transportation, and secondary waste segregation at a specific location. The tender was cancelled after several bidders were found not to be qualified when the technical bid was opened.

The tender was invited for the second time in January 2023. The matter reached the court stage as some were disqualified in the qualification round for trivial reasons. The government had told the court that it would conduct a new tender process. Accordingly, after getting approval from the cabinet, tenders have been invited for 33 packages.

Ramanagara is also included!

‘Ramanagara’ is also included in the tender called by BSWML for waste disposal. Contractors are surprised as to how ‘Ramanagara’, which is a southern district of Bangalore, was included here. However, officials said that it was a typographical error and ‘CV Ramannagara’ was spelled as ‘CV Ramanagara’.

Which package, how much?

Area; Amount (in ₹ crores per year)

C.V. Ramannagara; 14.77

Shantinagar;14.11

Sarvajnanagar;17.51

Shivajinagar;17.23

Hebbal;15.16

Pulakeshinagar;16.70

Gandhinagar;15.96

Govindarajanagar;13.38

Rajajinagar;13.44

Malleshwar; 17.96

Mahalakshmi Layout;12.84

Chamarajapet;14.85

Chikkapet; 20.16

Basavanagudi; 17.24

Vijayanagar; 21.41

Padmanabhanagar; 22.94

Jayanagar; 12.84

BTM Layout; 17.69

Bommanahalli; 25.97

Bangalore South – 1; 14.38

Bangalore South – 2; 9.55

Dasarahalli-1; 15.05

Dasarahalli-2; 14.94

Mahadevapura –1;18.98

Mahadevapura -2; 18.65

K.R. Pura-1; 14.16

K.R. Pura–2;16.90

Yeshwanthpur–1;14.57

Yeshwanthpur–2;15.69

Rajarajeshwari Nagar–1;16.33

Rajarajeshwari Nagar–2;18.59

Yelahanka;12.14

Batarayanapura;22.65

 Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan instructs to construct houses for Puttenahalli Lake encroachers

Puttenahalli Lake ‘Rehabilitation in Bettadasanapura to be completed soon’

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: Housing Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan has instructed the officials to quickly construct houses in Bettadasanapura for the rehabilitation of those encroached on Puttenahalli Lake.

Citing a special report published in Prajavani on May 27 under the title ‘Increase in Encroachment in Puttenahalli Lake’, the minister has ordered the Slum Development Board Commissioner to ‘undertake the construction work and distribute the houses to the beneficiaries as soon as possible.’

The Revenue Department had handed over 2 acres and 24 guntes of land in Survey No. 20 of Bettadasanapur to the Slum Development Board in 2014 to rehabilitate 118 families encroaching on Puttenahalli Lake. The BBMP had also given Rs 1 crore. The board had not constructed houses for various reasons. This had increased encroachment on Puttenahalli Lake. After a detailed report was published in about this, the Minister held a meeting of the officers and instructed them to take action.

Also read…….. Puttenahalli Lake: Neglect of rehabilitation: Encroachment increases

‘Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Sarvarigi Suru Yojana, approval has been given to construct four-storey buildings in 10 blocks in Bettadasanapur. Tenders have been called for this and the contract has also been awarded. Earlier, ‘Ottuvaridaars’ had demanded that ‘we don’t want sheds, we don’t want houses, we want sites’. There is a case in court and they have said that they will finally get the flats. Thus, the construction work will start. There is also an order from the court and the Lokayukta. Bangalore South Assembly constituency M. Krishnappa will perform the Bhoomi Puja soon, and the work will be completed in about one and a half years on a ‘fast track’ model, said Slum Development Board Commissioner Ashok.

Check and take action: M. Krishnappa

‘The houses being built in Bettadasapura will be given priority to the people of our constituency. How can they be given to people from other constituencies here? We will check and discuss with the authorities that this land has been given to the squatters in Puttenahalli Lake for rehabilitation, and action will be taken,’ said Bangalore South Assembly constituency M. Krishnappa.

• 240 units; Houses being built by Slum Development Board
• ₹18.83 crore; Construction cost of G+3 buildings
• 900 sq ft; Carpet area of ​​each unit

 Puttenahalli Lake: Encroachment not cleared for a decade; Revenue Department not providing compensation

Puttenahalli Lake: Neglect of rehabilitation: Encroachment increases

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The Revenue Department has neglected to rehabilitate the encroachers in Puttenahalli Lake, and the number of encroachments in the lake is increasing day by day.

The government has provided land for the rehabilitation of the encroachers and the BBMP has provided money for infrastructure, but even after a decade, no rehabilitation facilities have been provided. Although the court has ordered twice that the eviction operation should not be carried out before taking an appropriate decision on rehabilitation and providing it, senior officials of the Revenue Department have not taken action.

While the rehabilitation of the encroachers is being delayed, the number of encroachers in Puttenahalli Lake is also increasing. Although the lake has been well developed, because of encroachment maintaining cleanses being difficult. In September 2023, the BBMP had submitted an ‘action plan’ to the High Court stating that the encroachment of Puttenahalli Lake would be cleared within 75 days. No action has been taken even after a year and a half.

BBMP officials have closed the file with a statement stating that ‘The High Court had ordered in 2015 that the encroachment should not be cleared until the encroachments in Bettadasapura are rehabilitated.’ BBMP officials also say that money has been given to the Slum Development Board to construct a building. However, even after a decade, the BBMP, Revenue Department, and Sewage Elimination Board have not come forward to clear the encroachments and provide rehabilitation.

The Puttenahalli Lake in J.P. Nagar Phase 7 was developed by the BBMP in collaboration with the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust a decade ago at a cost of crores. The trust has done a lot of work to protect the lake and has been involved in cleaning and greening the lake since 2008. As a result of all this, today, about 122 species of birds can be seen in the Puttenahalli Lake.

A petition signed by more than 1000 residents near the Puttenahalli Lake under the platform ‘Residents in the Vicinity of Puttenahalli Lake’ of J.P. Nagar Phase 7 has been given to local MLA M. Sathish Reddy. Referring to this letter, Sathish Reddy wrote a letter to the District Collector in November 2024. But no one is interested in rehabilitating or removing the encroachments.

Departments that have not taken action: Usha

‘Encroachments have remained in the Puttenahalli lake yard for decades. Letters have been written several times to the BBMP, the District Collector, and local MLA M. Sathish Reddy requesting them to take action in this regard. Although the court has ordered twice that the encroachers should be rehabilitated and then evicted, there is no coordination between the departments, and one is shirking responsibility by pointing fingers at the other. Since the Principal Secretary of the Revenue Department has not taken action, if the Chief Secretary intervenes and takes action, the lake, which has been developed at a cost of crores of rupees, can be kept clean,’ said Usha Rajagopalan, chairperson of the Puttenahalli Neighborhood Lake Improvement Trust.

Land given: Deputy Commissioner

‘2.5 acres of government land has been provided in Bettadasapura for the rehabilitation of Puttenahalli lake squatters. The district administration does not have the responsibility for the construction of buildings and houses, including infrastructure. Action should be taken by the Slum Development Board,’ said Deputy Commissioner Jagadish.

Letter: Land has been handed over to the ‘Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation’ for rehabilitation in Bettadasapura. The Lokayukta and the High Court have given directions, but no progress report has been submitted so far. The Deputy Commissioner wrote a letter to the Commissioner of the ‘Karnataka Slum Development Board ’ on September 19, 2023, requesting him to provide information about this immediately. However, there has been no progress.

 SPV for MAJOR works with ₹7,000 crore grant from the government

‘B-Smile’ for infrastructure development

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: A special purpose vehicle (SPV) – ‘Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited’ (B-Smile) has been set up to implement massive development works with a grant of ₹7,000 crore from the state government for infrastructure development.

The principal engineer and chief engineer have been assigned to ‘B-Smile’ by BBMP, and the posts have been recreated and merged for that.

The name of ‘B-Smile’ has already been registered and the process of registering the company is in progress. Long-term infrastructure works including tunnel roads, flyovers, skydecks, white topping, buffer roads, etc. will be undertaken in the city through this company.

Since massive works need to be implemented quickly, the necessary human resources need to be provided and the office needs to be started. Also, since the Greater Bengaluru Administration Act has come into force, BBMP needs to be divided in four months and new municipal corporations have to be formed. Therefore, the government on Friday issued an order merging the post of Chief Engineer of BBMP with ‘B-Smile’ on a full-time basis.

BBMP Engineer in Chief B.S. Prahlad has been appointed as the Technical Director of ‘B-Smile’. 

Due to the division of BBMP and the creation of new municipal corporations, the posts and functions of the corporation have been revised. Thus, the post of Chief Engineer of the Planning-Central Division of BBMP has been divided.

The post of Chief Engineer of the Planning-Central Division and the functions related to buildings and structures have been merged with the post of Chief Engineer of the Health and Sanitation Department.

The functions related to road development works including white topping and flyover have been merged into the post of Chief Engineer of Road Infrastructure Department. This post has been transferred to ‘B-Smile’ and ordered to be transferred.

Since Engineer in Chief B.S. Prahlad has been appointed to ‘B-Smile’ on a full-time basis, the BBMP Chief Commissioner has been instructed to appoint an in-charge for the posts of Chief Engineer of BBMP’s Road Infrastructure and Major Drainage Department until the government appoints him.

Office immediately – Prahlad

‘Major works need to be started with government funds. ‘B-Smile’ office needs to be established immediately, and the office will be started at the Smart City office or at a prominent location in the central area,’ said ‘B-Smile’s’ Technical Director B.S. Prahlad.

₹750 crore released

Bengaluru: The Urban Development Department on May 20 released the first installment of ₹750 crore for the year 2025-26 under the state government’s ‘Capital Support for Special Infrastructure’ scheme to the BBMP.

Under the Special Infrastructure Scheme, works on major roads, flyovers, corridors, etc. are in progress. The bills for these works are pending and if they are not paid, there is a possibility of delay in progress. Therefore, the money has been released from the ₹3,000 crore allocated for the year 2025-26, the order said.

 66 lakes were completely dried in mid-April; 63 lakes overflowed on May 20

2,605 crore liters of water in Bengaluru lakes

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The pre-monsoon rains in the city have caused a flood of water in the lakes, with 2,605 crore liters of water accumulating in 183 lakes.

The city received double the usual rainfall in May, and water has come to the lakes that were in the process of drying up. On April 11, 66 lakes were completely dry. 44 lakes had less than half and 13 lakes had three-quarters of water. On May 20, 63 lakes had overflowed. 40 lakes had more than three-quarters of water.

‘Cleaning work is being done near the drains of all the filled lakes and in the lakes. "Cleaning work is being carried out by deputing staff to clear the canals where the lakes flow, including garbage, sticks, plastic and other waste," said Preeti Gehlot, Special Commissioner of the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Management Department.

19 lakes in the Yelahanka zone, 16 lakes in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone, 13 lakes in the Mahadevapura zone, 7 lakes in the Bommanahalli zone, four in the South zone, and two lakes each in the East and Dasarahalli zones are full.

Highest water filled lakes

Lake; Storage

Yelahanka; 244 crore litres

Jakkur; 109 crore litres

Rampura; 108 crore litres

Madiwala; 101 crore litres

Halsur; 92.5 crore litres

Rachenahalli; 84.9 crore litres

Doddanekkundi; 79 crore litres

Venkojirao; 73.6 crore litres

Doddabombammasandra; 70.4 crore litres

Hebbal; 68 crore litres

3,251.4 crore litres; Total capacity of 183 lakes

1,059.5 crore litres; Water storage on April 11

2,605.6 crore litres; Water storage on May 20

Which lakes are full?

Zone; Lakes

Bommanahalli; Dorekere, Venkojirao Lake, Kudlu Doddakere, Annappanakere, Subramanyapura Lake, Devarakere, Subedaranakere.

South; Gaudanapalya Lake, Kempambudhi Lake, Yediyuru Lake, Madiwala Lake.

East; Kelagina Bairasandra Lake, Halasuru Lake.

Rajarajeshwari Nagar; Bheemanakatte, Hoskerehalli, Gattigerepalya, Herohalli Lake, Lingadhiranahalli Lake, Andrahalli Lake, H. Gollahalli Lake, Chikkabasti Lake, Gandhinagar Hosakere, Mangammanahalli Lake, Dubasipalya Lake, Kenchanpura Lake, Kodigehalli, Bheemanaguppe, Kannalli Lake, Sulikere.

Dasarahalli; Nelegedaranahalli Lake, Dasarahalli Lake.

Yalahanka; Agrahara Lake, Kogilu Lake, Yalahanka Lake, Veerasagar Lake, Attur Lake, Narseepur Lake, Jakkuru Lake, Allalasandra Lake, Avalahalli Lake, Doddabommasandra Lake, Palanahalli Lake, Rachenahalli Lake, Harohalli Lake, Singapore Lake, Bettahalli Lake, Venkatespur Lake, Amritahalli Lake, Mediagrahara Lake, Kattigenahalli Lake.

Mahadevapura; Goshala Lake, Garudacharyapalya Lake, Haralur Lake, Horamavu Agar Lake, Kaudenahalli Lake, Mahadevapura Lake, Nageswara Nagenahalli Lake, Pattandur Agrahara-54 Lake, Pattandur Agrahara-124 Lake, Rampur Lake, Silavantana Lake, Seegehalli Lake, Vijanapur Lake.

 Three roads connecting the outer ring road to the city centre are in disarray

Road Work is slow; traffic, life miserable

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Motorists, who have been stranded for four years due to the work to connect the 'Namma Metro' to the Kempegowda International Airport, are facing hours of chaos on the roads every day due to the chaos of the three roads connecting the outer ring road to the city centre.

As an alternative to the outer ring road, the city centre can be connected through the 80-foot road near Veerannapalya, Nagawara Main Road, and Hennur Main Road. However, these three roads have deteriorated and due to the ongoing works for years, vehicular traffic has become difficult. Therefore, vehicles are plying only through the outer ring road and Hebbal Junction, resulting in hours of traffic congestion.

‘If the potholes on the road are closed and vehicular traffic is allowed, the traffic congestion will improve,’ said the traffic police on the outer ring road and the connecting roads.

‘We ourselves, instead of waiting for the BBMP, request them many times when trucks full of concrete come and close the potholes,’ said the traffic police. These words describe the BBMP’s work of repairing potholes. People living near the connecting roads curse the BBMP officer. But BBMP engineers say, ‘There will be some trouble for a while when the white topping work is going on.’

Connecting Road 1: The road starting from the 3rd Main Road in Veerannapalya on the outer ring road is badly damaged by potholes. There have been excavations for installing pipes here and there, but they have not been closed. There is a railway level crossing near Kanakanagar, and gates are often put up when trains are running. During that time, vehicles stop for half a kilometer. When the gate is opened, there is traffic jam due to vehicles coming from both sides. This connecting road, which runs along the KHB Colony main road, is not even 50 meters good. There are potholes everywhere. This connecting road, which joins the Dinnur main road near Pushpanjali cinema, is narrow and cannot accommodate two vehicles at a time.

Connecting Road 2: This connecting road, which runs from Thanisandra-Nagwara junction on the Outer Ring Road to Nagawara main road via Arabic College, Kadugondanahalli towards Tannery Road, also has BMTC bus traffic. However, due to the white-topping work and our metro work, we have to find a road. There is also a problem with the railway level crossing. In addition to digging to install pipes on the road, work is underway to install footpaths and ducts on both sides. The work has not been completed in any part. Thus, the road is full of potholes and vehicles get stuck in the wet soil. By the time they are cleared, vehicles line up. This is a common situation here every day.

Our metro station work is going on on both sides of Tannery Road, including Venkateshpura and Arabic College, and the road has become narrow. Autos that store waste are parked here, emitting a foul smell. Before connecting to Fraser Town, the road has become narrow near Bilalnagar, and even BMTC buses cannot ply.

Connecting Road 3: Hennur Main Road, which connects the Outer Ring Road to the New Airport Road, through the service road, has been undergoing white topping work for the past year on the road that reaches the city from Lingarajpuram, 80 feet road, 3rd block of HRBR Layout. The white-topping on one side has been completed, but it has not been opened for traffic. On the other side, the road has been dug up, obstructing the movement of vehicles. The footpath is filled with construction waste, making it impossible for people to walk. Two-three feet deep ducts have opened, causing vehicles and pedestrians to fall.

Link Road 1: Veerannapalya 3rd Main Road to Dinnur Main Road – Kanaka Nagar – KHB Colony Main Road – Dinnur Main Road – JC Nagar Main Road – Fun World – Jayamahal Main Road

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Link Road 2: Thanisandra Road – From Nagawara Junction – Nagawara Main Road – Arabic College – Kadugondanahalli – Arabic College Main Road – Tannery Road – Fraser Town

=

Link Road 3: Hennur Main Road – Service Road – HRBR 3rd Block 80 Feet Road – ISKCON Temple Goshala – Lingarajpuram

What should be done immediately?

From the outer ring road to the central part, Veerannapalya, Nagawara Main Road-Tannery Road and HRBR Layout, at least the potholes on the 80-foot roads should be closed to allow vehicle traffic. Instead of closing the dug potholes after completing the kilometer-long work, the work should be completed within 100 feet and allow traffic. Then the work should be started in the next 100 feet. Water Board, BESCOM, BBMP and other organizations should coordinate and complete the work at the same speed. Heads of departments should frequently visit the places where the work is being done, resolve the existing problems and take responsibility for completing the works quickly. Work should be done near the railway level crossing for free traffic.

Don't listen to us: MLA A.C. Srinivas

'White topping work is going on from Nagawara Main Road to Tannery Road. People keep complaining about the problems here every day. Metro, water board, BESCOM, cable companies and BBMP are working. Each one is doing a different type of work. Every day, engineers are being talked to and instructed to complete the work quickly. Contractors are also being told. But, no one is listening, they are making excuses. The inspection work is being done with the Deputy Chief Minister and the work is being expedited,' said Pulakeshinagar assembly constituency MLA A.C. Srinivas.

Dust, health problems

They have been working for a year saying that they will develop the road from the Outer Ring Road to the Tannery Doddi Road via Nagawara Main Road. They dig holes, install pipes. They do not seal it properly. They say that after installing pipes everywhere, they will put wet mix. The dust is excessive, and people have many types of health problems. They have to wear masks here all the time. There is no business in the shops, everything is covered with dust and people do not buy. Robert, a resident of Kadugondanahalli, lamented that the condition of the hotels is such that they are closing down.

‘It’s like taking loans for food’

‘They have been building a concrete road for nine months, whether we want to work or not. We are street vendors. If there is business here, we eat our fill at night. But they are not completing the road work. For the past few days, they have left one section open to traffic. They often close it. Vehicles stand for kilometers in the evening. All the fruits are covered in dust and we have no business. It’s like we have to take loans to eat,’ said Syed, a fruit vendor on the 80-foot road of HRBR 2nd block.

 No construction, development allowed: Environmental activists appeal to Governor

Jnanabharathi: Let it be a ‘heritage site’

• A minister’s instruction to use 300 acres
• Chief Minister orders to declare it as a bio-forest
• Forest Department’s negligence towards notification

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: Environmental activists have appealed to the Governor to declare the biodiversity forest in the Jnanabharathi campus as a ‘bio-diversity forest’ or ‘heritage site’ without allowing any development.

Environmental activists led by environmental activist Yellappa Reddy have written a letter to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot, saying that no land should be given for any kind of construction to any institution, including UVCE, National Law School University and the Skydeck that BBMP intends to build.

Yellappa Reddy had started the work of making the Jnanabharathi campus a biodiversity site. Professor T.J. Renuka Prasad has continued that work and has created the city's largest 'biodiversity forest' on 660 acres. Hundreds of species of birds and mammals have taken shelter. It is filled with greenery, including Panchavati and Panchavalkala, orchards, Miyawaki, ottu forest, and thousands of sandalwood trees. This is the largest biodiversity forest among universities in India, filled with groves and gardens, and is a 'bio-geo-hydro park'. It is planned to destroy such a forest and give land to many institutions and build buildings. It is requested that this should not be allowed.

'Jnanabharathi Green Park is working as a storehouse of oxygen and absorbing carbon. In Jnanabharathi, Rotary, Lions, SWAT, Greens Army Force, Midita Foundation, Jeevanmukti, Adamya Chetana, Ayodhya, Youth for Seva and many other organizations have come together to create a biological forest of lakhs of trees in two decades. It is a favorite destination for air travelers. This forest, which also has rare trees, is planned to be destroyed in the name of development,’ complained H.K. Gowdaiah, secretary of the Jnanabharathi Vayu Viharigala Sangha.

In 2017, it was decided in the syndicate meeting not to give the land of Jnanabharathi to anyone. The government has also ordered to maintain it as a ‘biodiversity forest’. The UGC has also ordered to ‘grow an urban forest and make it a ‘biodiverse forest’. The Biodiversity Management Committee of BBMP has said in its study report that it is an ‘oxygen production center worth about ₹16,500 crore per year’. A minister has instructed to give about 300 acres of such a forest to other organizations. Accordingly, the former vice-chancellor of the university had also said that ‘land was given under pressure’. He has appealed that the forest in the Jnanabharathi campus should be preserved without succumbing to any kind of pressure.

‘Parisarakkaki Naavu, we, under the leadership of the organization’s president A.T. Ramaswamy, will fight to save the forest in Jnanabharathi and not give land to anyone here,’ said the organization’s Parashurama Gowda.

Demand to examine the report

‘The university syndicate has taken a decision to preserve the Biopark in the Jnanabharathi campus in 2017 and 2022. The NAAC has also said that all types of construction activities should be banned in the Jnanabharati campus. Therefore, the Jnanabharathi campus should be declared a ‘heritage site’ as per the Biodiversity Act- 2002,’ the committee formed by Bangalore University has reported.

‘On the complaint filed by the Jnanabharathi Airmen Association, a committee was formed on September 26, 2024, under the chairmanship of the Evaluation Registrar, to submit a scientific report to the Governor. Although this committee submitted a report, it has not been submitted to the Governor. The Governor should collect this report and take appropriate action,’ demanded Professor T.J. Renuka Prasad.

also read…. Jnanabharathi: Let it be a ‘heritage site’ ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ: ‘ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ತಾಣ’ ಆಗಲಿ 

ALSO READ… 371 trees in Railway Cantonment Colony: Now'Biodiversity Heritage Site' ರೈಲ್ವೆ ಕಂಟೊನ್ಮೆಂಟ್‌ ಕಾಲೊನಿಯಲ್ಲಿ 371 ಮರ: ‘ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ತಾಣ’

ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ, ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಅವಕಾಶಬೇಡ: ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಪರಿಸರ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರ ಮನವಿ

ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ: ‘ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ತಾಣ’ ಆಗಲಿ

• 300 ಎಕರೆ ಬಳಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳಲು ಸಚಿವರೊಬ್ಬರ ಸೂಚನೆ
• ಜೈವಿಕ ವನ ಎಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸಲು ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ ಆದೇಶ
• ಅಧಿಸೂಚನೆಗೆ ಅರಣ್ಯ ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ನಿರ್ಲಕ್ಷ್ಯ

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು: ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ಕಾಡಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾವುದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿಗೆ ಅನುವು ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡದೆ, ‘ಜೈವಿಕ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ವನ’ ಅಥವಾ ‘ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ತಾಣ’ ಎಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸಲು ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ಪರಿಸರ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಯುವಿಸಿಇ, ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಕಾನೂನು ಶಾಲೆ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ಹಾಗೂ ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲು ಉದ್ದೇಶಿಸಿರುವ ಸ್ಕೈಡೆಕ್ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಯಾವುದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣಕ್ಕೆ ಜಮೀನು ನೀಡಬಾರದು ಎಂದು ಪರಿಸರ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತ ಯಲ್ಲಪ್ಪರೆಡ್ಡಿ ನೇತೃತ್ವದ ಪರಿಸರ ಕಾರ್ಯಕರ್ತರು ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲ ‌ಥಾವರಚಂದ್ ಗೆಹಲೋತ್ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಪತ್ರ ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಯಲ್ಲಪ್ಪ ರೆಡ್ಡಿ ಅವರು ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಆವರಣವನ್ನು ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ತಾಣವನ್ನಾಗಿಸುವ ಕಾರ್ಯ ಆರಂಭಿಸಿದ್ದರು. ಆ ಕಾರ್ಯವನ್ನು ಪ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಪಕ ಟಿ.ಜೆ.ರೇಣುಕಾ ಪ್ರಸಾದ್ ಮುಂದುವರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದಿದ್ದು, 660 ಎಕರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಗರದ ಅತಿದೊಡ್ಡ ‘ಜೀವ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ವನ’ ಸೃಷ್ಟಿ ಆಗಿದೆ‌. ನೂರಾರು ಜಾತಿಯ ಪಕ್ಷಿಗಳು ಹಾಗೂ ದುಂಬಿಗಳು ಆಶ್ರಯ ಪಡೆದಿವೆ. ಪಂಚವಟಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಪಂಚವಲ್ಕಲ, ಹಣ್ಣಿನ ತೋಟ, ಮಿಯಾವಾಕಿ, ಒತ್ತು ಅರಣ್ಯ, ಸಹಸ್ರಾರು ಶ್ರೀಗಂಧದ ಮರಗಳಿಂದ ಹಸಿರು ತುಂಬಿದೆ. ಭಾರತದ ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯಗಳಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಅತಿದೊಡ್ಡ ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ವನ ಇದಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಕಟ್ಟೆ, ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿಗಳಿಂದ ತುಂಬಿ ‘ಬಯೊ-ಜಿಯೊ-ಹೈಡ್ರೊ ಪಾರ್ಕ್’ ಆಗಿದೆ. ಇಂತಹ ವನವನ್ನು ನಾಶಮಾಡಿ ಹಲವು ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಭೂಮಿ ನೀಡಿ, ಕಟ್ಟಡ ನಿರ್ಮಿಸಲು ಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಅವಕಾಶ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಡಬಾರದು ಎಂದು ಕೋರಲಾಗಿದೆ.

‘ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಹಸಿರುಧಾಮ, ಆಮ್ಲಜನಕದ ಕಣಜವಾಗಿ, ಇಂಗಾಲ ಹೀರಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವ ಕೆಲಸ ಮಾಡುತ್ತಿದೆ. ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ರೋಟರಿ, ಲಯನ್ಸ್, ಸ್ವಾಟ್, ಗ್ರೀನ್ಸ್ ಆರ್ಮಿ ಫೋರ್ಸ್, ಮಿಡಿತ ಫೌಂಡೇಶನ್, ಜೀವನ್ಮುಕ್ತಿ, ಅದಮ್ಯ ಚೇತನ, ನೆರವು, ಯೂತ್ ಫಾರ್ ಸೇವಾ ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ಹತ್ತು ಹಲವಾರು ಸಂಘ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳು ಜತೆಗೂಡಿ ಎರಡು ದಶಕಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಲಕ್ಷಾಂತರ ಮರಗಳ ಜೈವಿಕ ವನ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣವಾಗಿದೆ. ವಾಯುವಿಹಾರಿಗಳಿಗೆ ನೆಚ್ಚಿನ ತಾಣವಾಗಿದೆ. ಅಪರೂಪದ ಮರಗಳನ್ನೂ ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಈ ವನವನ್ನು ಅಭಿವೃದ್ಧಿ ಹೆಸರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನಾಶಪಡಿಸಲು ಯೋಜಿಸಲಾಗಿದೆ’ ಎಂದು ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ವಾಯುವಿಹಾರಿಗಳ ಸಂಘದ ಕಾರ್ಯದರ್ಶಿ ಎಚ್.ಕೆ. ಗೌಡಯ್ಯ ದೂರಿದರು.

2017ರಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಂಡಿಕೇಟ್ ಸಭೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿಯ ಜಮೀನನ್ನು ಯಾರಿಗೂ ನೀಡದಂತೆ ನಿರ್ಣಯ ಆಗಿದೆ. ‘ಜೀವ‌ ವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ವನ’ವನ್ನಾಗಿ ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವಂತೆ ಸರ್ಕಾರವೂ ಆದೇಶಿಸಿದೆ.  ಯುಜಿಸಿ ಕೂಡ ‘ನಗರವನ ಬೆಳೆಸಿ ‘ಬಯೋಡೈವರ್ಸ್ ಫಾರೆಸ್ಟ್’ ಮಾಡಲು ಆದೇಶಿಸಿದೆ. ಬಿಬಿಎಂಪಿಯ ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ನಿರ್ವಹಣಾ ಸಮಿತಿ ತನ್ನ ಅಧ್ಯಯನ ವರದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ‘ವರ್ಷದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು ₹16,500 ಕೋಟಿ ಮೌಲ್ಯದ ಆಮ್ಲಜನಕ ಉತ್ಪಾದನಾ ಕೇಂದ್ರ’ ಎಂದು ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ಇಂತಹ ವನದಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು 300 ಎಕರೆಯನ್ನು ಇತರೆ ಸಂಸ್ಥೆಗಳಿಗೆ ನೀಡಲು ಸಚಿವರೊಬ್ಬರು ಸೂಚನೆ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅದರಂತೆ, ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಹಿಂದಿನ ಕುಲಪತಿಯವರು, ‘ಒತ್ತಡಕ್ಕೆ ಒಳಗಾಗಿ ಭೂಮಿ ನೀಡಲಾಗಿದೆ’ ಎಂದೂ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದರು. ಯಾವುದೇ ರೀತಿಯ ಒತ್ತಡಕ್ಕೆ ಮಣಿಯದೆ, ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿಯ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವನವನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿಕೊಡಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ಮನವಿ ಮಾಡಿಕೊಂಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

‘ಪರಿಸರಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನಾವು ಸಂಘಟನೆಯ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷ ಎ.ಟಿ. ರಾಮಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಅವರ ನೇತೃತ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿಯಲ್ಲಿರುವ ವನ ಉಳಿಸಲು, ಯಾರಿಗೂ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಜಾಗ ನೀಡದಂತೆ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿ ಹೋರಾಟ ನಡೆಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ’ ಎಂದು ಸಂಘಟನೆಯ ಪರಶುರಾಮಗೌಡ ತಿಳಿಸಿದರು.

 ವರದಿ ಪರಿಶೀಲಿಸಲು ಒತ್ತಾಯ

‘ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯದ ಸಿಂಡಿಕೇಟ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ 2017 ಮತ್ತು 2022ರಲ್ಲಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಬಯೊಪಾರ್ಕ್‌ ಅನ್ನು ಸಂರಕ್ಷಿಸಲು ನಿರ್ಣಯ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಲಾಗಿದೆ. ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಆವರಣದಲ್ಲಿ  ಎಲ್ಲ ರೀತಿಯ ನಿರ್ಮಾಣ ಚಟುವಟಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ನಿಷೇಧಿಸಬೇಕು ಎಂದು ನ್ಯಾಕ್‌ ಕೂಡ ಹೇಳಿದೆ. ಹೀಗಾಗಿ ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ಆವರಣವನ್ನು ಜೀವವೈವಿಧ್ಯ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ– 2002ರಂತೆ ‘ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ತಾಣ’ ಎಂದು ಘೋಷಿಸಬೇಕು’ ಎಂದು ಬೆಂಗಳೂರು ವಿಶ್ವವಿದ್ಯಾಲಯ ರಚಿಸಿದ್ದ ಸಮಿತಿ ವರದಿ ನೀಡಿದೆ.

‘ಜ್ಞಾನಭಾರತಿ ವಾಯುವಿಹಾರಿಗಳ ಸಂಘ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಿದ್ದ ದೂರಿನ ಮೇರೆಗೆ, ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ವೈಜ್ಞಾನಿಕ ವರದಿ ಸಲ್ಲಿಸಲು ಮೌಲ್ಯಮಾಪನ ಕುಲಸಚಿವರ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ 2024ರ ಸೆಪ್ಟೆಂಬರ್ 26ರಂದು ಸಮಿತಿ ರಚಿಸಲಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಈ ಸಮಿತಿ ವರದಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದರೂ ಅದನ್ನು ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರಿಗೆ ತಲುಪಿಸಿಲ್ಲ. ರಾಜ್ಯಪಾಲರು ಈ ವರದಿಯನ್ನು ತರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು, ಸೂಕ್ತ ಕ್ರಮ ಕೈಗೊಳ್ಳಬೇಕು’ ಎಂದು ಪ್ರಾಧ್ಯಾಪಕ ಟಿ.ಜೆ. ರೇಣುಕಾಪ್ರಸಾದ್‌ ಒತ್ತಾಯಿಸಿದರು.

 Greater Bangalore Administration Act to come into effect on May 15

BBMP will be Greater Bangalore from May 15

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) will cease to exist from May 15 and will be known as ‘Greater Bangalore Area’ (GBA).

The Greater Bangalore Administration Act, 2024 cannot come into effect until BBMP is notified as GBA. The Cabinet meeting on Friday approved the implementation of this Act and the notification to expand the Greater Bangalore Area, Law Minister H.K. Patil informed a press conference.

As per Section 1 (2) of the Greater Bangalore Administration Act, 2024, the notification required to notify the Greater Bangalore Area and to implement the Act as per Section 1 (3) and to appoint an Administrator for the Municipal Corporation as per Section 131 will be issued on May 15.

The existing BBMP area will be notified first as ‘Greater Bangalore Area’. Due to the dissolution of BBMP, an Administrator will be appointed for the ‘Greater Bangalore Area’. After the appointment of the Administrator, the rules and legal provisions of the municipal corporations will be framed in accordance with the act. Rules will be implemented for the authorities functioning under the municipal corporations and duties and functions will be assigned. The Administrator can exercise all the powers as per the rules.

The Administrator who comes to power after the dissolution of BBMP should seek the direction and guidance of the government while carrying out the functions involving public interest. Article 131 states that if a question arises regarding any policy matter, the decision of the government will be final. That is, the BBMP administration will become the ‘Greater Bangalore Area’ after May 15, and the government will control everything through the Administrator.

After the enactment of the ‘Greater Bangalore Administration Act-2024’, the ‘Greater Bangalore Authority’ (GBA) headed by the Chief Minister should be formed within 120 days. The Bangalore Development Minister is the Vice-Chairman of the Authority. The MLAs-Ministers of Greater Bangalore, Urban Development Minister, Mayors of Municipal Corporations, BDA Commissioner, Bangalore Water Board Chairman, BMTC, Managing Director, BMRCL Managing Director, BESCOM Managing Director, Deputy Commissioners of Revenue Districts, Bangalore City Police Commissioner, Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Metropolitan Road Transport Authority, Managing Director of Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited, Director of State Fire and Emergency Services, Commissioner of Urban Road Transport Directorate, Metropolitan Commissioner of Bangalore Metropolitan Area Development Authority are the members. The Chief Commissioner of Greater Bangalore Authority is the Member Secretary.

Act: The ‘Greater Bangalore Administration Bill-2024’, which was passed in the Legislative Assembly on March 13, was sent to the Governor for his assent on March 17, 2025. The Bangalore Town Hall Organization and delegations of BJP leaders had submitted a petition to the Governor stating that the bill is against the 74th Amendment of the Constitution and will create problems similar to those that occurred during the bifurcation of the Delhi Metropolitan Corporation. They had also demanded that the bill be stayed. 

The Governor had returned the bill on March 25 saying, ‘I have examined both the petitions. This bill covers matters of legal and public interest. Therefore, clarification is required on the important issues raised in both the petitions.’ The state government had given the necessary reply to it. The Governor had given his assent to the bill on April 24. That evening itself, the ‘Greater Bangalore Administration Act-2024’ was notified and published in the Gazette.

Three Municipal Corporations!

From May 15, only the BBMP area will be called the ‘Greater Bangalore Area’, but the area will expand in the future. There is a plan to create three municipal corporations of about 125 wards each, and the boundaries of the ‘Greater Bangalore Area’ will be marked accordingly.

There is a possibility that the industrial areas around the city, including Electronic City, Attibele, Jigani Industrial Area, Bommasandra, Sarjapur, Bagalur, Rajanukunte, Hesaraghatta, Dasanapura, Makali, Tavarekere, Kumbalagoda, Kaggalipur, Harohalli, will be included in the ‘Greater Bangalore Area’.

As per the act, the names of all municipal corporations have to start with ‘Bengaluru’. They will be named ‘Bengaluru Central Municipal Corporation’, ‘Bengaluru Uttara Municipal Corporation’, ‘Bengaluru Dakshina Municipal Corporation’… It is said that three or five municipalities will be formed after the 'Greater Bengaluru Area' is expanded.

 Amendment to KTCP Act: First ₹50 thousand, then ₹1 lakh fine

Unauthorised layout: Fine for officials

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The government has decided to impose a fine of ₹50 thousand to ₹1 lakh on officials who allow unauthorized layouts and violations of plans in approved layouts.

The Karnataka Town and Country Planning (KTCP) Act, 1961, has been amended and rules have been formulated in the name of ‘Karnataka Planning Authority’. The scope of action against whom action can be taken if unauthorized layouts are constructed has been determined and notified.

If there are cases of unauthorized layouts and plan violations in the construction of layouts within the jurisdiction of the officer to whom the responsibility is given, he will be fined ₹50 thousand in the first case. A fine of ₹1 lakh will be imposed for the subsequent cases. If three and more cases are found, disciplinary action will be taken as per the Karnataka Civil Service Rules. The rules also explain which officer has what responsibility.

The responsibility of preventing unauthorized constructions within the BBMP limits has been entrusted to the Commissioner of Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Chief Commissioner of BBMP. In areas outside BBMP, the responsibility has been entrusted to the BDA Commissioner and the respective local bodies, Panchayat Development Officers (PDOs). The power to take action and impose fines on them has been given to the BMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner and the Chief Executive Officer.

In the limits of urban local authorities, the concerned Commissioner, Member Secretary of the Planning Authority, and the Chief Officer of the authority have been given the responsibility of preventing unauthorized constructions. The power to take action and impose fines on them has been given to the BMRDA Metropolitan Commissioner and the Chief Executive Officer.

In areas other than the Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR), the Commissioners, Chief Officers, PDOs, Member Secretary of the local bodies have been given the power to prevent unauthorized construction. If they fail, the responsibility of imposing fines and action against them has been given to the Urban Development Department officials.

The responsible officer can appeal against the fines and disciplinary action against him to the Urban Development Department officials within 45 days. The notification clarifies that a thorough inquiry should be conducted in this regard and the appellate authority officer should take action within 90 days.

30 Years Encroachment cleared: Greenery in the pipeline

 Land encroached for 30 years in ISRO Layout reclaimed

Encroachment cleared: Greenery in the pipeline

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್

Bengaluru: The BBMP has cleared the garden area that had remained encroached since the time the Bangalore Development Authority built the layout after 30 years.

The BDA had reserved land for a garden in the ISRO Layout in Kumaraswamy Layout. This area was encroached even when the layout was handed over to the BBMP. The encroachment in this area has now been cleared and is set to be greened.

In Survey No. 1 of Bikasipura village in Uttarahalli taluk under the Padmanabhanagar assembly constituency, the BDA had reserved 2 acres 20 guntas of land for a garden during the construction of the ISRO Layout. But this area was encroached by private individuals. There were sheds and other structures on this land, which is located on the side of the circular Rajakaluve. The BDA had handed over the plot to the BBMP many years ago.

The BBMP had tried several times to clear the land reserved for the park. The local lobby was unsuccessful. Two months ago, after collecting all kinds of documents, the engineers of the BBMP South Zone Planning Department, along with police bandobast, cleared the encroachment.

A retaining wall has been built around this area around the Rajakaluve and a system has been made to drain water through a drain. Since it was a low-lying area, a lot of soil has been filled in and brought to the road level. The development work of the park has started and will be completed in three months, said the BBMP South Zone Engineer.

‘Many types of facilities are planned to be developed in this area, which is circular around the Rajakaluve. On one side, it is being developed into a tree grove, and on the other side, a park is being built. There is no lawn system here. Only a walking track is being built for walkers. Plants are being planted to green the rest of the area. Equipment is being installed for children to play on one side. A system that facilitates exercise will also be created,’ explained Executive Engineer Mahantesh.

‘Illegal activities were going on in this area for many years. A situation had arisen where the residents around were afraid to even walk on the road. Many times, complaints were filed with the BBMP and requested to take action. Finally, the residents of the block put a lot of pressure on MLA R. Ashoka. After he gave strict instructions to the officials, the encroachment was cleared, it is clean. He said that he would make a park. This is a good step,’ said Basavaraju, a local resident of ISRO block.

Development at a cost of ₹3 crore

‘A tree grove, a park and an exercise facility will be provided in this area reserved for a park in the ISRO layout. This area is adjacent to the Rajkaluwa, and special facilities will be provided for senior citizens to take a walk. The park is being developed at a cost of ₹3 crore with the MLA funds of Padmanabhanagar assembly constituency MLA R. Ashoka,’ said Engineer Mahantesh, Executive Director of the Planning Department of BBMP South Zone.