Bangalore: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said it is practically impossible for the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) alone to deal with the city’s civic issues, given the rate at which the city has grown in the last few years.
He was speaking at the launch of ‘Kasa Muktha Bangalore’ (Garbage-free Ward) programme organised by the BBMP.
Siddaramaiah hinted at bifurcating the BBMP for better administration. The civic body has selected 22 wards for the programme.
“The City Corporation was just 225 sqkm before 2007 and it has now increased by four times. The population has exceeded one crore while the floating population is around 10 lakh. When this is the case, there is a need to discuss dividing the City Corporation. Many multinational companies and people from outside India working here. Along with keeping the city clean, we need to provide better amenities,” he said.
Speaking about the garbage menace, he said the BBMP has to tackle it. Cooperation from other people will play an important role, he felt.
He appealed to the public to segregate waste at their homes. “Keep two dustbins, one for dry and another for wet waste. There are many advantages in segregating waste. It should not be followed for just a day or two but be a continuous process,” he said.
Further, he said there is a need to bring back the glory of the ‘Garden City’ which has been branded ‘Garbage City’ in recent times. “We have instructed the BBMP Commissioner to ensure that the city is clean and rid of that tag within six months. There is no dearth of funds and the State government is committed to spending as much as required,” he announced.
Siddaramiah said he will go on city rounds after the Assembly session. “I want to meet people to know about their problems, especially on garbage. Councillors and MLAs should also show interest in this regard. Together, we can make Bangalore garbage-free,” he said.
BBMP Commissioner M Lakshminarayana said the ‘Kasa Muktha’ initiative will be extended to all 198 wards in the next six months.
Minister for Food and Civil Supplies Dinesh Gundu Rao read out a pledge to keep the city clean. Short skits were staged to create awareness on garbage and dengue on the occasion. District Minister R Ramalinga Reddy and Mayor D Venkatesh Murthy were present.
