Bengaluru: The first public consultation of the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for its Master Plan 2031, which was held for Bommanahalli zone on Thursday, turned out to be a stormy affair with citizens protesting against the ‘top-down’ fashion of consultations.
"We were not given sufficient time to study the proposal before responding. The notification was given only a few days before the event, and holding one consultation per zone is not sufficient," said Sridhar Pabbishetti, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation.
P. Mahalakshmi, secretary, Citizen's Action Forum, said that the draft of the Master Plan had been designed in a top-down fashion without any input from ward-level committees. "How can we get info from ward level committees when the committees are not functioning?"
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Bommanahalli MLA Satish Reddy said that while planning had been done earlier as well, implementation had fallen short. “A continuous monitoring agency is needed to oversee that all works are completed on time,” he said.
The BDA had put forward three scenarios depending on population growth and a plan to fit each scenario. “The first scenario,” said Anjali Mohan, a member of the Netherlands-based consultancy which drew up the plans, “would try to limit the population to 1.54 crore and put preservation of waterways as top priority.”
The maps which the BDA displayed at the venue are not available in the public domain yet. Citizens were asked to fill in forms stating the problems in their zone.
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The second scenario, which envisaged a heavy growth and a population of 2.4 crore, called for transit-oriented development on all radials and rings.
Under the third scenario, with a population of 2.03 crore, growth would be limited to the peripheral areas where special development zones would be earmarked. "In the third scenario, there will restriction on further growth in core areas, and regional parks would be created across the city," said Ms. Mohan.
'First deal with current population'
S. Sethumadhava, president of Anugraha Layout Resident's Welfare Association, said the master plan made little sense.
"How can you justify plans for 2 crore persons when the city cannot provide water and other facilities to its existing population of 1.2 crore?" he said, adding the BDA should limit its plans to a population of 1.5 crore and develop satellite cities.
A high-level BDA official explained that the current scenario had occurred as civic officials had not foreseen the growth of the city. "It is for this reason that it is necessary to draw plans for 2031," he added.