BBMP’s green agenda

BBMP’s green agenda
The BBMP has taken up several programmes to maintain green cover in the city. Poornima B V outlines some plans drawn up to develop parks and greening avenues


The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has earmarked 15 percent of the new area that has come under its jurisdiction, for the development of parks. Maintaining and sustaining the city's ecological balance and bio-diversity is a major challenge ahead, according to Krishna Udapudi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP.
In its efforts, over the years, the BBMP has embarked upon an intensive drive to convert open spaces into parks, develop theme parks, plant more trees, flank boulevards with trees and create traffic islands. In the last five years, of the 574 open spaces identified for parks, 386 have been developed into beautiful parks.
According to Krishna Udapudi, the focus has shifted from recreation to environment and from shrubs to trees. The idea is to build environmentally-sound parks with walking space, aromatic trees, theme parks, water harvesting, compost making, and with a greater emphasis on conservation of species and maintaining the ecological balance.
Out of the 386 parks present in the garden city of Bangalore, there are 151 water fountains and 49 water cascades. Earlier, people had to go all the way to the Brindavan Gardens to catch a glimpse of musical dancing fountains. Not anymore. Bangalore now boasts of seven such dancing musical fountains in parks - Hosahalli Park, Pramilabai Mane School Park, Kalyanagar Park, Skyline Apartment Park, J J Nagar Park, Wilson Garden Park, Kammanahalli Park and Bugle Rock Park are the ones that have this facility. These musical dancing fountains in the city which are open to the public between 6.30 pm. and 8 pm, according to Udapudi.
Planting trees
The BBMP's urban forestry wing has set a target of planting a minimum of one lakh saplings during 2007-08. It has already developed nurseries in many parks to accomplish its massive affforestation programme. A central nursery at Giddenahally, off Magadi Road, is currently under development.
Boulevards and
theme parks
As many as 21 boulevards with rich covers have been developed across Bangalore. Theme parks like hibiscus gardens, urban gardens and botanical gardens have been developed to increase the green cover and conserve biodiversity in the city.
Water bodies
The BBMP has prepared blueprints for developing 15 tanks in areas falling under its jurisdiction with the help of JNNRUM (Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission) funds. These tanks will be developed and protected by the urban forestry wing of BBMP, providing the necessary thrust for the conservation of lakes in Greater Bangalore.