Best Practices for Bangalore

Bengloorappa - 8-APR-2008

I am trying to enlist here some of the best practices that I have seen/heard about City Management. Please feel free to add, edit/dissect as you may please.

1. Locality based Infrastructure Management - A la Delhi model can be adopted by empowering local Residents' associations, where available, to get Infrastructure like Roads, Parks, Water and Waste management managed and maintained on a locality basis and make engineers and other city corporation employees answerable to such associations as well as to their own management. This can lead to quick addressal of grievances and form power centres for effective infra management. In Delhi, residents' associations are headed by retired govt. employees who have plenty of time on their hands and a vision for their locality.

Ideas for Bangalore

ssheragu - 2-APR-2008

Bangalore Budget

tsubba - 30-MAR-2008

The full text of the BBMP budget http://deccanherald.com/DeccanHerald.com/Content/Mar282008/city2008032859887.asp?section=updatenews The thrust areas of BBMP budget for 2008-09 will be improved city infrastructure, cleaner and greener environment, basic services for the urban poor and better services for improved quality of life for all.

Road over drains - the project is back

silkboard - 29-MAR-2008

It was just over an year ago when BBMP talked about the project - about 250 km of roads over Bangalore's storm water drains. Local papers, when covering BBMP budget today, are saying that this project is now funded. Here is a quote from TOI:

Slum re-development under JNNURM

tsubba - 24-MAR-2008

Kasturirangan Committee

tsubba - 17-MAR-2008

November, 2007
Panel will chisel out city’s growth strategy
ToI via bangalorebuzz

Noted space scientist and Rajya Sabha member K Kasturirangan will head the expert committee constituted by the Karnataka government to suggest strategies to ensure planned growth of the city under Greater Bangalore. The committee will work on a new comprehensive law that will deal with the development and regulation of the Bangalore Metropolitan Region (BMR) that has been witnessing rapid economic and demographic growth.

Members of the Kasturirangan committee
K Kasturirangan, scientist and Rajya Sabha member
A Ravindra former chief secretary and deputy chairman of the State Planning Board ,
Samuel Paul Public Affairs Centre chairman,

Cauvery junction underpass - maintenance?

silkboard - 15-MAR-2008

Now that the underpass is ready, its time to maintain it. So BBMP is asking for private parties to undertake maintenance of Cauvery junction underpass on BOT basis (tender here). Private parties keeping the underpass clean and painted etc while they make money displaying advertisements, that is fine. But after reading the document, I was confused as to what is the "build" part of BOT (build, operate transfer) here. I thought the underpass was ready. BBMP has mentioned a penalty clause for delay in construction:

Dumping Grounds

Vijay - 28-FEB-2008

Heres something thats totally counterproductive.

For all of you who have travelled on the Bangalore/Mysore road, the Vrishabhavathi canal on the outskirts of Bangalore is a familiar sight. Theres also a water treatment plant that was set up at great cost just before Kengeri.

Mechanical sweepers for Bellary Road

silkboard - 27-JAN-2008

Hope you heard about BBMP planning to employ Mechanical Sweepers for Bellary Road (Hebbal Flyover to Airport entrance). When I saw the document with work details (See page 15 here), I was thinking about how the winning bidder will manage to accomplish all that BBMP wants.

First of all, I don't know why the Mechanical Sweeper thing is getting so much importance. Read some lines below:

Story of Bangalore traffic - in pictures

silkboard - 15-JAN-2008

This is how it begins, so I told you a few months ago. Nothing but a no-parking sign in June. Small shops sprung up in August. September: two wheelers parked and pedestrians off the pavements. Now, no-parking sign is almost gone, and road-side parking is common on Varthur road, right next to the busy Kundalahalli intersection. Unregulated construction, irresponsible small businesses who think roads are free parking space, motorists with scant respect for no-parking signs, and no enforcement of pedestrian rights (pavements are almost gone) - this my friends, is the story of most roads and intersections in Bangalore with annoying traffic congestions. Pictures tell the story - Aug, Sep and Jan: