India
Bengaluru Development Minister Orders Long‑Term Master Plan for Water, Roads and Sewerage
Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda has instructed officials to prepare a comprehensive, long‑term master plan that will provide drinking water, road connectivity and underground drainage across the Bengaluru Urban district, including areas outside the Greater Bengaluru Authority limits. The directive was issued during the fourth Executive Committee meeting of the Bengaluru Development Authority, held at Vikas Soudha on Friday. Gowda said infrastructure projects should be undertaken in phases with clearly defined timelines to keep pace with the city’s rapid expansion. He added that a uniform policy would hold road‑excavating agencies accountable for restoration, with clear standards, cost recovery and penalties for violations. Gowda also stressed the need to prioritise scientific treatment and reuse of sewage to improve water security, citing the KC Valley, HN Valley and Vrishabhavathi Valley projects that supply treated wastewater to lakes in neighbouring districts. He directed the BMTC to introduce GPS‑enabled feeder buses within a 2 to 3 km radius of Metro stations, with fixed routes. Plans are also underway to integrate private auto‑rickshaw and taxi services with the BMTC 2.0 app, which already allows combined ticket bookings for Metro and BMTC services. The government has approved nine additional fire stations across the five municipal corporations under the GBA, expanding the proposed network beyond the existing 20. Published – October 31, 2026 01:14 am IST