‘Greater Bangalore could be planned as an eco-city’

‘Greater Bangalore could be planned as an eco-city’
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Deputy Chairman of the Planning Board Dr A Ravindra on Monday called for a movement to rejuvenate the dead valleys of Bangalore to bring back the lost green areas of Garden City.

While inaugurating the sixth edition of the International Eco-City conference here, he stressed on the need for creating more lung space in the City, besides providing room for pedestrians and cyclists.

Stressing on the need for greater infrastructure management, Dr Ravindra said that the valleys of Bangalore, which nurtured the ground water table and helped in maintaining the lung space, have made way for developmental activities.

“Apart from creating a dent in the green cover, many of the lakes have been converted into shopping complexes, stadia and bus terminals. With Bangalore set to expand further, there should be a holistic approach to make Bangalore a ‘Green City.’

“The project Greater Bangalore could help in turning Bangalore into an eco-city, provided the developmental agencies plan it that way,” he added.

Richard Register, author of ‘Ecocities - Building Cities in Balance with Nature’ of USA, said that the ill-effects of global warming are beginning to affect people everywhere.

“Global warming and shift in seasonal patterns are posing a threat to mankind. Hurricanes are getting worse. The rise in automobile industry is another threat which has to be controlled by adopting eco-friendly measures. Developing cities into model eco-cities could ease the pressure on the environment. We have to bring back nature into the city,” he said.

Dr Rusong Wang, President of Ecological Society of China and CEO of Project Agastya Rajeev Kumar were also present.