Dr T V Ramachandra, co-ordinator, Energy and Wetlands Group, Indian Institute of Science, blamed the inefficient administration for urban flooding and went on to point out that the real estate lobby was killing the city.
“All the rajakaluves (feeder canals) and lakes have been encroached upon leaving no space for rainwater to flow freely. Though flooding has been a recurring phenomenon, the government has done nothing to tackle the issue. Why are we giving our city to the builders?” He asked, noting the recent legislation to curb open spaces in the city.
Taking the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to task, Ramachandra said, “The councillors are not doing their job and the government should dissolve the BBMP. Debris is dumped into the water body and catchment areas are encroached. The volume of froth at Bellandur Lake only shows the height of corruption,” the professor, who had prepared a report titled: ‘Bengaluru will be a Unlivable and Dead City in Five Years’, told Deccan Herald.
Earlier addressing students at the ‘Idea Conclave for Better Bengaluru’, organised jointly by Students for Development and Christ University, Bengaluru, he asked students to participate in governance. “About 93% of Bengaluru landscape will be filled with paved surface in the next five years resulting in 1,050% concretisation. There is 88% decline in vegetation and 79% fall in wetlands,” Ramachandra said, terming it as senseless urbanisation.
Concurring with him, Ramakrishna Y B, chairman, Working Group on Biofuels, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India wanted students to take government to task.
“City administration has failed in many levels including in handling garbage and traffic. Low lying areas continue to flood. The government is not interested in stopping the mafia,” he said.
Urbanist Aswhin Mahesh said there was lack of will, resources, money and training among government employees to solve issues that are plaguing the city and suggested a need for private-public partnership.