Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday admitted that potholes remain a major concern in Bengaluru but assured that both short-term and long-term measures are being rolled out to tackle the problem. Responding to a discussion in the Karnataka Assembly, Shivakumar, who also handles Bengaluru development, listed out the city’s ongoing infrastructure and waste management initiatives.
Acknowledging sharp criticism from citizens and legislators alike, the Deputy CM said thousands of potholes had been flagged through complaints, photographs, and videos submitted by the public. Police too have been asked to provide inputs on accident-prone stretches. “So far, 10,000 potholes have been identified, of which 5,377 have been repaired. Work on the remaining 5,000 is being taken up,” he said, describing these fixes as temporary.
For a more durable solution, Shivakumar said the government is investing heavily in road upgrades. A total of 154 km of road will be covered under white-topping at a cost of ₹1,700 crore, expected to last three decades. In addition, 632 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads will be upgraded in the first phase of a ₹7,500 crore project, with the detailed project report already prepared. Overall, the government has drawn up plans to invest ₹9,200 crore in Bengaluru’s road network, including ₹690 crore for blacktopping 450 km of major roads.
Turning to waste management, the Deputy CM alleged that a “garbage mafia” has thrived under successive governments, hampering effective disposal in the city. He said that tenders for waste collection and processing have now been reissued constituency-wise after legal hurdles were cleared.
{{/usCountry}}Turning to waste management, the Deputy CM alleged that a “garbage mafia” has thrived under successive governments, hampering effective disposal in the city. He said that tenders for waste collection and processing have now been reissued constituency-wise after legal hurdles were cleared.
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Shivakumar added that the government is working on setting up large-scale waste processing units on the outskirts of Bengaluru in four different zones. One proposed site near Doddaballapur involves acquiring 100 acres of land from NICE, though some local resistance has emerged. “With new technology, garbage can be processed in just three days, producing electricity and gas without foul odour. Similar units are already functioning in Delhi,” he said. A team of officials has also studied waste treatment models in Chennai, Hyderabad, and Delhi to replicate best practices in Bengaluru.