Bengaluru has received a fresh grant from the 15th Finance Commission for improving the air quality in the city.
Story so far: The 15th Finance Commission has awarded the city supplementary funding of ₹140 crores for the current fiscal year to improve the air quality. This is in addition to the ₹279 crores that the Center released the previous year. The action plan for ten projects, which will mostly be carried out by the BMTC and BBMP, was authorized by the State Level Monitoring of Implementation Committee (SLMIC).
- The BMTC has secured ₹46 crores for projects including electrifying E-bus depots and purchasing double-decker buses, among others.
- The BBMP received a sizable portion of the money for initiatives including the purchase of mechanical sweepers, the removal of construction debris, and others.
Progress so far: Despite having plenty of money to spare, the city’s leaders have made little headway in putting their plans into action. Most of the ₹279 crore grant approved for 2020–21 is still unused as a result of irregular review meetings, disputes over the choice of unnecessary works, and subpar service provider responsiveness, among other factors.
- These grand announcements, according to experts, are useless if no steps are taken to assure compliance with current standards to reduce air pollution.