Townships no answer to City’s problems

Townships no answer to City’s problems
Deccan Herald

New townships seem to be the State Government’s mantra to counter the burgeoning growth of Bangalore City. And its latest dreams are pegged to a mega township — the proposed Knowledge Hub City — between Bidadi and Ramanagaram.

New townships seem to be the State Government’s mantra to counter the burgeoning growth of Bangalore City. And its latest dreams are pegged to a mega township — the proposed Knowledge Hub City — between Bidadi and Ramanagaram.

But what does this exercise essentially aim at? Decongesting Bangalore? Enhancing Brand Bangalore? Building a city better than Bangalore? Or further widening Bangalore?

Officials in the Bangalore Metropolitan Regional Development Authority (BMRDA), the nodal agency for developing the Bidadi township, do not reply to these questions. Instead, they ask back — is there an alternative plan to decongest Bangalore?

But urban planners and former bureaucrats have answers, and negative ones at that. They say any township around Bangalore would only increase pressure on Bangalore’s core areas.

Development should be beyond the Bangalore rural district, they contend.

On an invitation from Deccan Herald, Mr M N Vidyashankar, Secretary, IT & BT Departments, made a presentation on the proposed Knowledge Hub City (see page 3). The IT Department will act as a facilitator and help the promoter — to be picked through global tenders — to market township space to IT companies.

But how can the government acquire nearly 10,000 acres of land required for the township? And will the township really help in decongesting Bangalore?

Many IAS officers, who did not want to be named, felt that investment should spill over to towns like Tumkur, Doddaballapur, Kolar and Mysore. Kengeri Satellite Town and Yelahanka Township – developed to counter the City’s haphazard growth – have witnessed irregular development. Driving home the point that there is no guarantee that new townships will have an orderly growth, an officer pointed out: “People residing in satellite towns will still come to the City. In the last five decades, we haven’t been able to replicate an MG Road or Brigade Road elsewhere. The traffic congestion is increasing and it will worsen if Bangalore alone is projected as an investment destination.”

The villages identified for Knowledge Hub City are situated near the township planned by NICE in Bidadi. The total land required for the NICE township is 2,775 acres. Preliminary notification for the project was issued about six years ago.

Interestingly, the BMRDA had its reservations on the NICE township. At a meeting held in February 1999 on the township, it had observed, “The western portion of the urbanisable block has been intensely developed with the formation of KIADB Industrial Estate, wherein Coca-Cola 3and Toyota-Kirloskar units have come up. The Eagleton International Golf Village, Magnolia Township and the KPTCL power plant are also located in the same area. Therefore, a thorough review needs to be taken if it is worthwhile to proceed with the development of the urbanisable block or not...” But now, the government agencies, including BMRDA, are supporting a township in Bidadi. Why? The townships are planned after ensuring least displacement of human settlements, least disturbance to forests and water bodies, least acquisition of valuable agricultural lands, lower cost of lands, good connectivity and adequate distance from existing developed locations.

“Land acquisition will not be a problem. Land owners will part with land if good rehabilitation is extended. Each acre will fetch Rs 50 lakh,” a top BMRDA officer commented.

What they say

Govt officials

* Townships are the only alternative to decongest City

* Land acquisition for the Knowledge Hub City will not be a problem

* IT Dept will help promoters market township space to IT firms

Urban planners

*Townships around Bangalore increase pressure on City’s core areas

* Tough task to acquire 10,000 acres of land

required

* Townships are no solution to help decongest the City