Ahead of the assembly polls, Bengaluru is filled to the brim with civic projects.
Story so far: BBMP has revealed that work orders for the entire ₹6,000 crore city development allocation in the 2022 budget have been issued. This development comes despite the state government’s previous announcement that the funds would be rolled out over three years. While some projects are already underway, others will require more time to be implemented.
- A huge chunk of the funds has been apportioned to the redevelopment of Storm Water Drains (SWD). BBMP has reportedly begun road-related construction work and ward-level projects.
- According to urbanist Ashwin Mahesh, the BBMP is ill-equipped to see projects of this scale through. He believes that funds should be allocated according to the feasibility of the project.
Why it matters? Apart from pothole-driven roads and waterlogging, SWDs have been identified as a major problem during monsoon season. Last year, amidst fears that the city’s infrastructure is inadequate to deal with heavy rainfalls, the BBMP initiated a survey on SWD encroachment and fast-tracked evictions.