Bengaluru needs long-term master plan for water, roads and sewerage: KBG

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has directed officials to prepare a comprehensive, long-term master plan to provide drinking water, road connectivity, and underground drainage infrastructure across the Bengaluru Urban district, including areas beyond the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) limits.

Mr. Gowda chaired the fourth Executive Committee meeting of the Bengaluru Development Authority at Vikas Soudha on Friday. He said infrastructure projects must be taken up in phases with clearly defined timelines, keeping pace with the city’s rapid expansion.

The Minister said a uniform policy would hold agencies excavating roads accountable for restoration, with clear standards, cost recovery and penalties for violations. He also stressed the need to prioritise scientific treatment and reuse of sewage to improve water security.

He cited the KC Valley, HN Valley, and Vrishabhavathi Valley projects, which supply treated wastewater to lakes across neighbouring districts. Further, he directed the BMTC to introduce GPS-enabled feeder buses within a 2 to 3 km radius of Metro stations, with fixed routes.

Plans are also under way to integrate private auto-rickshaw and taxi services with the BMTC 2.0 app, which already facilitates combined ticket bookings for Metro and BMTC services. The government has also approved nine additional fire stations across the five municipal corporations under the GBA, taking the proposed network beyond the existing 20, he said.