Plans are on to beautify lakes, medians and parks in the north and eastern parts of the city

Civic amenities to be developed
Plans are on to beautify lakes, medians and parks in the north and eastern parts of the city
The Times of India

While the Garden City is virtually exploding with growth, its civic amenities and infrastructure come under the microscope. Bangalore (East) has not been left behind in this phase of expansion and measures are being taken to ensure that its natural flora and fauna are protected, and other amenities are upgraded with the increasing population. So what's being done about the fire services, lakes and medians, and parks in this part of the city?

Fire stations
There are 11 fire service stations around the city says T Suneel Kumar, DIG, Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services. And there are several in the north and eastern parts of Bangalore including Whitefield, Cooke Town, Peenya, Seshadri Road, and Rajaji Nagar. Each station has different levels of manpower and now efforts are on to upgrade the equipment and services of the Karnataka Fire and Emergency Services. "We wish to upgrade the equipment, ladders, rescue vans, and mist technology, and have advanced fire fighting techniques and equipment," explains Suneel Kumar. "We are also planning to introduce six more fire service stations in the city."

The public can also actively take part in their efforts and it's with this in mind that the Fire Warden's Organisation was started. "Anyone who wishes to be a volunteer can join this group where we impart basic training in fire safety and prevention," says Suneel Kumar. SAFE or Students Association for Fire Education has been incorporated to impart knowledge on fire prevention and safety to school students and already 16 schools have a SAFE group.

Medians and parks
According to Narayanaswamy, Chief Horticultural Officer, there are around 206 parks in Bangalore (East), which includes open spaces. "84 parks have been developed and the rest are to be developed. While 11 parks have been given for adoption, we maintain the others. We have plans for developing more parks this year and to improve medians and circles," he explains. There are about 37 traffic islands and numerous medians in that part of the city. Many have been given for adoption to organisations, hospitals and government offices. In case residents' associations or organisations are interested in adopting medians and parks, they can get in touch with the Horticulture Department.

Lakes
Like the gardens in Bangalore, lakes have also added to the city's enchanting environs and beauty. Numerous lakes in the city have been revived including the Hebbal and Nagavara lakes. Says B K Singh of the Lake Development Authority, "both these lakes had been developed by the Forest Department in the past and were revived with the INEP project. In order to ensure that these developed lakes don't deteriorate, we invited expressions of interest for these lakes. As far as Nagavara Lake is concerned, we have already entered into a contract with a company last November. The company can use up to five percent of the lake's land for development of infrastructure and engage in commercial activities, and part of the money earned will be given to the government. The new facilities on this lake are likely to be inaugurated during Dasara," he explains. Tenders have now been called for Hebbal Lake.

The process of revival of these lakes includes desilting, providing alternate routes for sewage, installation of sewage treatment plants, and even landscaping and fencing the area. In fact, a sewage treatment plant has been put in place for Nagavara Lake. "Bangalore has around 200 lakes and they must be preserved", says Singh.