Monday, March 31, 2008

Expressway from ORR to airport not feasible’

Expressway from ORR to airport not feasible’
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: After pegging their opposition to the proposed expressway from Outer Ring Road to the Bengaluru International Airport to alignment issues, protesters are now saying it’s commercially unviable.
The 21.1-km access-controlled expressway, that has been handed over to the National Highways Authority of India, will benefit only 20% of airport users, said the Bangalore Airport Users’ Association. About 80% of the airport’s users, including government officials and dignitaries, will prefer to use the Bellary Road (NH-7), according to the association. “To use the expressway, commuters who reach Hebbal from the city will have to turn right and travel about 8 km on the busy Ring Road to reach the starting point of the expressway, pay toll and travel another 21 km to reach the airport,’’ said Cherian, of BAUA.
The association estimates that only about 20% of the airport users — those travelling from locations between Sarjapur Road and Old Madras Road — may prefer to use the expressway.
Cherian, while maintaining that people have to lose land for any developmental project, pointed out that the concern here was over the feasibility of the project. The government will not be able to techno-economically justify the cost of acquiring 700 acres of land and buildings at an average market rate of Rs 3 crore per acre, he said. Raja Reddy, who has been involved in protests against the expressway alignment, said with the state initiating new projects — including a signal-free ORR and widening of Bellary Road — the expressway didn’t fit the bill to improve connectivity to BIA.
Groundwork on the expressway is yet to take off as the Detailed Project Report is awaited.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com

The roll and rumble of ‘cauliflower’ clouds

The roll and rumble of ‘cauliflower’ clouds
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Non-meteorologists call them ‘cauliflower’ clouds. Meteorologists say they are ‘cumulonimbus’ clouds. The aviation industry says they are a ‘hazard’ to flying.
The city received heavy rain right through March, thanks to the formation of cumulonimbus clouds. Pilots and weathermen at HAL airport are on their toes during the premonsoon months — March, April and May — to gauge changes in weather.
“At HAL airport it’s rush hour during these months. Apart from flashing regular weather bulletins, radars at the airport keep an eye on vertical cloud formations, so that the flying machines can avoid those violent clouds,’’ senior meteorologist, Indian Meteorological Department, B Puttanna, told The Times of India.
Cumulonimbus clouds are a product of vertical cloud formation, having capacity to elevate up to 15 km above sea level.
They cause sudden downpours coupled with thunder. A slight mistake by a weatherman, and an aircraft can run into a cloud system with thunder activity.
“Above five km from sea level, the temperature falls to zero degrees Celsius and above 10 km it might even recede to minus 40. These are the only clouds which can shower hailstorms and initiate thunder activity,’’ the officer added.
Aircraft pilots have no problem negotiating cumulonimbus clouds, but try to avoid it. “Once the aircraft cuts through these clouds, it will experience turbulence which is an atmospheric instability causing gusty air currents. Since the temperature outside the aircraft is low there will be ice formation on the vehicle’s skin which could damage the controllers,’’ an Indian Air Force pilot explained.
The officer pointed out that there are weather monitoring agencies in the West which cut through a tropical storm to gauge weather parameters.
But passenger airlines avoid such turbulence by doing a ‘dog leg’ (taking diversion before the cumulonimbus cloud). The turbulence can cause extreme stress and discomfort to passengers.
This apart, special care is taken in the case of long-distance international flights, which fly at higher altitudes. For instance, ATR aircraft fly above 16,000 feet. International flights can climb up to 40,000 feet.
toiblr.reporter@timesgroup.com

Please give way

Please give way
Ambulances Struggle To Get Those Needing Urgent Medical Attention To Hospitals
Ambarish B | TNN

Bangalore: Clogged roads with vehicles piled up even on pavements. And there it is, the white vehicle with a loud siren, desperately threading its way through the jam, rushing a VIP (very injured person) to the hospital during the ‘golden hour’.
But where’s the space? This SMS doing the rounds says it all — ‘We are in a city where pizza reaches faster than the ambulance!’
The city’s 760 ambulances are always in a tight spot. Spacecrunched roads teeming with vehicles, insensitive motorists and lack of a coordinating system for ambulances makes for this sorry state of affairs.
Imagine this: A victim from Yelahanka calls up a private ambulance service. Due to lack of knowledge about an ambulance available close to the victim’s place, an ambulance from a distant place is rushed to the spot. And, a traffic constable at a junction realizes an ambulance is approaching only when he hears its siren.
“Ambulances can jump red signals, go the wrong way in a one-way and so on. Because we don’t have a centralized system for movement of ambulances, our constables make way for ambulances only when ambulances arrive at the junction. It’s fellow motorists who have to voluntarily give way to ambulances. Motorists should stop immediately and ambulances will make their own way. Traffic policemen immediately turn off the signals and allow the ambulance to move first,’’ additional commissioner of police (traffic & security) Praveen Sood explained.
The question here is: Who should create a centralized system? Traffic police say they are ready to assist in building such this. “In some cities like Hyderabad, ambulances are managed by a centralized system.
The service also carries advertisements assuring the public that the ambulance will reach the spot in 7 minutes. If the patient is poor, treatment for the first 24 hours will be provided free of cost.
Such a system can be introduced in Bangalore also. The services of wireless and police network will be useful, for we already have an integrated network to send Hoysalas and Cheetahs,’’ Sood suggested.
Experts feel only the health department can take the initiative to make the ambulance service an exclusive social service. The driving force behind the CTC Sanjeevini service Dr N K Venkataramana said they had introduced such a system in the city in 2001. Unfortunately, poor coordination and conforming to Western standards didn’t allow the system to work.
“If a person is injured in an accident, treatment begins from the spot once the ambulance reaches there. We introduced a ‘blue signal light’ concept, to alert the arrival of an ambulance 300 metres from the junction. But, some said it would be a breach of international signals standard.
We have to set standards which suits our conditions and road scenario. The ambulances can have a remote switch which sends a signal to the junction lights. Immediately, the signal light will turn blue and motorists and traffic police will get ready to give way for the ambulance,’’ he explained.
Clearly, the ball is in the medical health department and the state government’s court to set up a centralized integrated control room. Experts suggest this can be done more judiciously with private participation. A digital road map of Bangalore, expert staff at the control room, little changes in the signal light system and participation of all hospitals, including the private, can make it possible.
And Bangaloreans will get pizzas and ambulances within the same time!

Police will push car-pools to

Police will push car-pools to
fight traffic jams
R Krishnakumar | TNN

Bangalore: Your car-pooled drive could now come with the official stamp of acceptance. The Bangalore Traffic Police is working with an online community on a roadmap to take the idea of car-pooling to the next level. The police, in association with www.commuteeasy.com, are in the process of identifying groups and areas from which the pools could commence.
“This is a good step towards easing the traffic bottlenecks and we want to popularize it. With the police formally backing car-pooling initiatives, we expect good public acceptance,’’ Seemanth Kumar Singh, DCP - Traffic (East), said. The initial phase of the project is expected to feature car-pooling weeks and billboards that promote the concept.
Singh plans to involve more carpooling communities at the next level. For now, sessions are on to muster support for the idea among IT employees - the sessions have covered clusters like the Manyata Tech Park - and the formalities of the agreement are being finalized. “The primary target group is the IT sector employees. There’s a lot of interaction happening with them. The pilot project will be ready by April,’’ Singh said.
Though the potential of car-pooling has been tapped by various groups and communities to combat the city’s traffic snarls, this will be the first concerted effort to popularize car-pooling with the police as partners. The traffic police, while endorsing the idea in principle, have maintained that the initiative has to come from the people. “With around 4,000 users on our website, we thought it was time to take the concept to a larger level. That’s when the partnership with the police came through,’’ Vipul Kasera, who founded www.commuteeasy.com, said.
Kasera said the tie-up could also cover aspects like identity verification of car-poolers. Hoardings at permanent locations, partnership with Residents’ Welfare Associations, a call centre to address car-poolers’ issues and dedicated pooled drives to shopping malls are also on the cards.
Users of the not-for-profit website are bound by the etiquette terms that cover aspects like punctuality and social habits. Once registered, the user can search for car-poolers who share his or her route and contact them to get started. “If there are 50 people who travel between, say, Vijayanagar and Airport Road, they’ll all be part of a pool. If one person is taking the route at any time of the day and wants to offer a drive to others, he can send an SMS that will reach all the pool members,’’ Kasera said.
The website offers three types of pooling: one member using his own car for all the trips, members using cars on a rotational basis and members using cars owned by a rental agency (with or without the driver). The costs of fuel, maintenance and parking are shared among the users.
ONE FOR MANY
l Pilot project to start in April
l Programme to feature awareness sessions, billboard promotion
l RWA partnership, identity verification proposed
l IT sector employees to be primary target group

Drained by rain,residents slam BBMP apathy

Drained by rain,residents slam BBMP apathy
Bangalore, dhns:

As if the rain menace wasn’t enough, Bangaloreans had to contend with the civic authorities’ apathy too.
Although several trees were uprooted and drain water started flowing on to the roads and entered the houses, the BBMP failed to come to their rescue. Expressing their ire against BBMP officials, residents of Koramangala, Rajeshwarinagar, Nayandanahalli and Padmanabhanagar said when they alerted the BBMP officials, they promised to rush to the spot. “However, even after four hours, none turned up.”
Left with no choice, residents began clearing the trees from the road.
BBMP control room sources, however, said the workers rushed to the spot as soon as they received the complaint from residents. The delay in reaching affected areas could be due to heavy rains, they said and added the workers cleared the trees and transported them elsewhere.
Weather
According to the Meteorological Department, the City recorded a maximum temperature of 30.8 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 21.4 degrees Celsius. The relative humidity was 79 per cent.
The weather is likely to be partly cloudy in the next 48 hours, according to the officials. Rain or thunder showers are likely to occur, they said.

Study for retaining HAL Airport

Study for retaining HAL Airport

Staff Reporter

‘New airport may not cope with air traffic growth’

Air traffic increased by 40 per cent during 2006-2007

‘Concession agreement could be renegotiated’

BANGALORE: A study conducted by the Centre for Public Policy of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) has recommended that HAL Airport operations continue even after the new Bangalore International Airport (BIA) at Devanahalli commences its operations on May 11.

The recommendations, submitted to Governor Rameshwar Thakur on Saturday by the former Chief Secretary A. Ravindra along with the centre’s faculty Gopal Naik and Ashwin Mahesh, underscore the key issues pertaining to the retention of the HAL Airport as also connectivity to the airport at Devanahalli

“After conducting the study, we have concluded that Bangalore should have two airports instead of one once the Devanahalli airport commences its operations. The conclusion has been arrived at after considering the growth rate of air traffic,” Mr. Ravindra told The Hindu. While the air traffic grew at a moderate rate when the construction of the airport commenced, it zoomed to 40 per cent during 2006-2007, he added.

Keeping in view of the growth, he said BIA, with just one runway, may also be saturated. Pointing out that many major cities in the world have two airports, he added: “The concession agreement signed by the State Government with BIA Ltd. could be renegotiated or (the parties involved could) arrive at a consensus after discussions as the growth was not foreseen at the time signing the agreement.”
Connectivity

Mr. Ravindra said that the report has studied connectivity to the BIA, one of the much-debated issues at present.

“Residents of several areas in Bangalore South may have to commute close to 45 km to reach the airport. Time and cost involved to reach the airport are high. Those who will travel short distances such as Kochi, Chennai and Hyderabad and also those flying on low-cost airlines would be severely hit,” he said.

The study and the recommendations follow a public debate involving authorities at HAL, BIAL, the State Government, industries and an independent analysis of the situation.

Magic box underpasses too narrow

Magic box underpasses too narrow
While readers urged BBMP to ensure that the underpasses planned to be constructed on new airport road route are technically sound and accommodate traffic volume, a former city MLA suggested the Palike to see to it that these underpasses are useful for at least the next 50 years.





Debate gains pace

Suggestions continued to pour in from readers and experts as a response to the Deccan Herald initiative “Concrete Solution? ”

While readers urged BBMP to ensure that the underpasses planned to be constructed on new airport road route are technically sound and accommodate traffic volume, a former city MLA suggested the Palike to see to it that these underpasses are useful for at least the next 50 years. A former BBMP Chief Engineer, welcoming the Palike’s initiative, asked it to fix responsibility and get the work done.

It’s been just over a month Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike threw its ‘innovative’ underpass near Cauvery theatre junction open for vehicle flow. It is already witnessing traffic jams: Traffic from Sadashivanagar (from Bhashyam Circle) is getting clogged at the mouth of the underpass, especially during peak hours.

Autorickshaws, two-wheelers and BMTC busses jostle to pass through the underpass. So much so that BBMP was forced to put up a road hump (produced from South Korea) to check vehicle speed and to prevent accidents. The big question here is: What would be the scene in coming days as the number of vehicles increase? “The present traffic between Bhashyam Circle and the Cauvery theatre junction is 5,500 passenger car per unit (PCU). And it’s going to grow in coming days. It will definitely turn into a major traffic bottleneck in coming days,” a traffic expert, who is part of the BBMP technical advisory team, noted.

For the existing traffic volume on this stretch, the width of the box should have been 7.5 metres and there should have been two lanes for the underpass. No where in the world such a small box is used. A 4.5 metre width box is used for pedestrian underpass. The underpass is too steep, which again contributes to slow traffic. If in case a bus breaks down below the underpass, the entire traffic comes to a standstill, fear experts.

“There is very slow movement of traffic at the entrance, as the width of the box is small (4.4 metres). So our buses are moving slowly,” BMTC Divisional Traffic Engineer Chandapur said.

Now that the BBMP has proposed to replicate the model at 44 “critical” junctions across the City in 2008-09 and much more in future, experts say, “The BBMP refuses to learn from its experiences. Though City planners have been suggesting implementation of long-term solution, it is doing just the opposite.”

LEADER SPEAKS

BBMP’s initiative in this regard is good. It wants to ease traffic problem by using the new pre-cast technology. But there should be proper planning and these underpasses should serve for at least next 50 years. Bangalore roads are chaotic now because town planners failed to plan the infrastructure projects properly in the past. We must learn from the experiences. Same mistakes should not be repeated now. Hence, long term planning is most important. If not, the project will fail to serve the purpose. I have seen Cauvery theatre junction underpass. The box is very narrow. It should have been bigger. The concern is what would happen when the volume of traffic increases. BBMP should have a strong technical team to plan these underpasses.

Narendra Babu, Ex-MLA
Rajajinagar

Readers’ Remark

BBMP’s initiative in taking up construction of underpasses to ease traffic problem is good. But it all depends how the projects are designed and implemented. If Cauvery junction underpass is anything to go by, it’s too narrow. It should have been two-lane underpass where two vehicles can move pass through easily at a time. Moreover, already there is problem for vehicles to take U-turn over the underpass. When the new airport starts functioning, it’s sure going to be a traffic bottleneck.

BBMP should learn from its experiences. It has planned five more underpasses on the same route. It should ensure that the underpass are big enough to accommodate the traffic towards the new airport. Unless the width of underpasses are wide, BBMP’s efforts will not only go waste but be a big nuisance in future.

N S Mukunda, President of
Citizens Action Forum


I appreciate BBMP for its efforts to ease traffic problem by taking up construction of fast-track underpasses. But it should also ensure they are technically sound. There are two aspects that need to be looked at the Cauvery theatre junction underpass.

First, the width of the box. Due to narrow box, traffic gets slow and congested during peak hours. If there is traffic congestion and slow movement, then what purpose the underpass is serving?

Second, the strength of the box. Though nothing untoward has happened so far, is the box strong enough to withstand the pressure of vehicles that pass over it? The question arises in the wake of a recent incident of earth near the underpass caving in. And the traffic on the route is going to grow considerably once the new airport starts functioning. I hope the box would not collapse due to vehicle pressure. These are two serious questions that BBMP should look into. Otherwise, the technology being used is good and it will definitely be a boon to Bangaloreans who are suffering day in and day out due to traffic problem.

M R Shirazi, Wing Commander (retd) Vice President of Dedicated Servants of India Society



EXPERT SAYS


It is heartening to note that BBMP has opened its arms to embrace new technologies. This magic box is a breakthrough technology compared to the conventional ones.

Imagine how much the citizens of Malleswaram, Vijayanagar and people living around these areas have been suffering for the past two years and more due to no fault of theirs but due to the shortsighted attitude of the officials who have planned the underpasses in these areas, without bothering about the problems of the citizens.
Though the promised 3 days has taken 35 days for completion of the ‘Magic Box’ near Cauvery junction, the fact remains that the conventional technology could have made us to suffer for 2 years and more. Is it not a relief that we could get it in 35 days. Such works require cohesive team for implementation, unified goal between different organisations involved and mutually supportive team spirit among them. The team management should anticipate all the problems including unforeseen and be in the readiness to tackle any untoward situation of any magnitude on a war footing. There must be accountability fixed on the teams involved in such works along with a reward for success. If this is ensured, it may not be difficult to accomplish such projects within the anticipated time frame. The delay has been unnecessarily attributed to BBMP whereas the mistake is made by someone else.

Let us cheer the BBMP Commissioner and his team members who are trying new technologies. I wish they not only continue the same spirit but also try many more new modern technologies and bring early succour to the city which is suffering from multiple problems in the fields of traffic, parking and pedestrian safety.
To restore the previous glory to this city, BBMP should not hesitate to take up major surgeries and stop applying temporary measures as was done in the past.


H Rajasimha,
Former Chief Engineer
(infrastructure)

BBMP plans CVS hotlines

BBMP plans CVS hotlines
By Afshan Yasmeen,DH News Service,Bangalore:
The grievance cells will be set up at the BBMP head office and citizens service centres at Jayanagar, Mayo Hall and Sampige Road.

With protests against CVS (Capital Value System) of property tax assessment intensifying, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is contemplating setting up grievance cells and hotlines for the benefit of aggrieved citizens.

Firm on introducing the new system from this financial year, the Palike is making all efforts to work out an acceptable model for citizens.

“As the shifting over to CVS will not put additional tax burden on every property owner, we are planning to set up grievance cells, helplines and hotlines for people who feel that their rates have shot up drastically under the new system,” top official sources told Deccan Herald on Sunday.

Grievance cells

The grievance cells will be set up at the BBMP head office and citizens’ service centres at Jayanagar, Mayo Hall and Sampige Road.

That apart, helplines are also being planned at all the offices of the Assistant Revenue Officers (AROs) and five new zonal offices in Mahadevapura, Rajaje-shwarinagar, Byataraya-napura, Bommanahalli and Dasarahalli, the sources said.

The hotline that was set up for Sakrama is likely to be used for CVS too. The existing office numbers of the AROs and zonal offices will be used for the helplines, the sources explained.

“The Sakrama hotline 3244 0101 is lying unused after the Karnataka High Court stayed the process of implementing the scheme. We are planning to use the same number and add a few more lines if required. Senior BBMP officials from the revenue department will answer the calls,” the sources said.

Information booklets

All these measures will be announced in the information booklets on CVS, which the Palike will release shortly.
The handbook will contain all relevant information about the tax rates, property guidance values, model calculations and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

A tax calculator will be available on the BBMP website for online computation and payment of tax.
“We know that the transition to the new system will not be smooth and easy. No effort will be spared to spread greater awareness about the scheme and help property owners file the tax returns without any hassle,” the sources added.

BBMP plans CVS hotlines

BBMP plans CVS hotlines
By Afshan Yasmeen,DH News Service,Bangalore:
The grievance cells will be set up at the BBMP head office and citizens service centres at Jayanagar, Mayo Hall and Sampige Road.

With protests against CVS (Capital Value System) of property tax assessment intensifying, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is contemplating setting up grievance cells and hotlines for the benefit of aggrieved citizens.

Firm on introducing the new system from this financial year, the Palike is making all efforts to work out an acceptable model for citizens.

“As the shifting over to CVS will not put additional tax burden on every property owner, we are planning to set up grievance cells, helplines and hotlines for people who feel that their rates have shot up drastically under the new system,” top official sources told Deccan Herald on Sunday.

Grievance cells

The grievance cells will be set up at the BBMP head office and citizens’ service centres at Jayanagar, Mayo Hall and Sampige Road.

That apart, helplines are also being planned at all the offices of the Assistant Revenue Officers (AROs) and five new zonal offices in Mahadevapura, Rajaje-shwarinagar, Byataraya-napura, Bommanahalli and Dasarahalli, the sources said.

The hotline that was set up for Sakrama is likely to be used for CVS too. The existing office numbers of the AROs and zonal offices will be used for the helplines, the sources explained.

“The Sakrama hotline 3244 0101 is lying unused after the Karnataka High Court stayed the process of implementing the scheme. We are planning to use the same number and add a few more lines if required. Senior BBMP officials from the revenue department will answer the calls,” the sources said.

Information booklets

All these measures will be announced in the information booklets on CVS, which the Palike will release shortly.
The handbook will contain all relevant information about the tax rates, property guidance values, model calculations and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

A tax calculator will be available on the BBMP website for online computation and payment of tax.
“We know that the transition to the new system will not be smooth and easy. No effort will be spared to spread greater awareness about the scheme and help property owners file the tax returns without any hassle,” the sources added.

Vayu Vajra (Volvo) and 100 Suvarna Peak Hour

Vayu Vajra (Volvo) and 100 Suvarna Peak Hour
Bus to Devanahalli: BMTC flags green
DH News Service,Bangalore:
Theres a smooth turn in the connectivity problems of the Bengaluru Inter-national Airport (BIA), thanks to the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) which on Sunday flagged off a dedicated bus service to Devanahalli.

The dedicated service — comprising a fleet of 40 “Vayu Vajra” (Volvo) and 100 “Suvarna Peak Hour” buses — the first of its kind in the country connecting a city centre and its airport, was flagged off by Advisor to Governor P K H Tharakan in front of Vidhan Soudha.

The “Vayu Vajra” buses with a capacity of 30 seats have customised interiors with separate room for baggage within the cabin area. They will be operated on nine routes covering areas with high concentration of IT firms and centres of commerce, finance and industry like Electronic City, J P Nagar, Koramangala, Whitefield, HAL Airport, Jeevan Bhimanagar, MCTC Bus Station, Kempegowda Bus Station, Hebbal, Kendriya Vihar and Airport Trumpet Junction.

“In all, 26 pick-up points have been identified. There will be at least one Vayu Vajra service every 15 minutes. There may be more depending on the arrival-departure schedule at BIA,” BMTC Managing Director Upendra Tripathy told reporters. He added that “Suvarna” buses will only operate during mornings (8 am to 11 am) and evenings (5 pm to 9 pm).

Both the services would be made operational to coincide with BIA’s commissioning on May 11.

“Vayu Vajra” fares will be a maximum of Rs 200 and a minimum of Rs 70, while maximum and minimum “Suvarna” fares will be Rs 90 and Rs 20 respectively.

The Trumpet Inter-change shuttle service for connectivity between the Trumpet Interchange Bus terminal and the airport terminal; the hotel special bus service and electronic ticketing machines were also launched on the occasion.

1st Mile Connection
Meanwhile, a GPS taxi and auto pick-up service to pick up passengers from their residences/hotels to the nearest “Vayu Vajra” stop is on the anvil BMTC Chief Traffic Manager (Operations) Dastagir Shrieff said commuters can make use of this service, the 1st Mile Connection, by dialling to a BMTC Call Centre two or three days in advance.


SMOOTH RIDE

*Vayu Vajra Volvos will ferry passengers from 26 points on nine routes to the airport.
One trip at least every 15 minutes.
Maximum fare Rs 200 and minimum Rs 70.
*Suvarna buses will ply in the morning (8 am to 11 am) and evening
(5 pm to 9 pm).
Maximum fare Rs 90 & minimum Rs 20.

Heavy rains ruin Sunday evening

Heavy rains ruin Sunday evening
DH News Service,Bangalore:
Heavy rains, accompanied by gusty winds and hailstorm, lashed the City late on Sunday evening, inundating several low-lying areas, uprooting trees, blocking drains, disrupting power supply and adversely affecting traffic movement.

However, no loss of life was reported from any party of the City.

The rains, which began around 4 pm, lasted 45 minutes. The City received 1.3 mm rainfall and the Airport, 6.4 mm.

According to Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike sources, nine trees were uprooted in Koramangala, Jayanagar and Sanjaynagar.

A van was damaged after a tree fell on it on 4th cross, Koramangala. Another tree crashed on an electric pole on 4th Main, BDA complex near Ashoknagar police station disrupting power supply.

A car was totally damaged when it came under a tree on 5th Cross, 3rd Block, Koramangala. Car owner Govindaiah said though he alerted the BBMP control room, no official turned up. He managed to pull out the car from under the tree with help from locals, he claimed.

Another tree was uprooted on the road in front of St John’s Hospital.

BBMP officials rushed to Sanjaynagar after a tree was uprooted in the locality and cleared up the road in no time.
Heavy rains blocked drains in Dasarahalli, Friends Colony in Handralli, Rajeshwarinagar, Lagg-ere, Padmanabhangar, Ittamadu, J P Nagar, Marenahalli, K S Layout, Banashankari, BTM Layout, Hosa-kerehalli, Manjunathnagar and Ittamadu resulting in flooding of roads. Rainwater entered several houses in these areas giving the residents a tough time.

A wall of a house at Ambedkar slum in Pantarapalya of Nayandahalli collapsed in heavy rains. There was no one inside the house at the time of the mishap.

Traffic ground to a halt in many areas. Autorickshaws and two-wheelers remained off roads, while BMTC buses, maxicabs and cars were seen plying at a snail’s pace.

BMTC to run fleet of 150 buses to BIAL

BMTC to run fleet of 150 buses to BIAL
Monday March 31 2008 07:27 IST

ENS

BANGALORE: Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) launched dedicated bus services to Bangalore International Airport at Devanahalli from key points in the city, here on Sunday.

The fleet of 150 buses will be operational with the commissioning of the new airport and the frequency and operation of the buses will be matched with the arrival and departure timings of the flights, said Managing Director of BMTC, Upendra Tripathy.

Three new services to the new airport:

Vayu Vajra BIAL Services, Suvarna Peak Hour Service and Trumpet Interchange Shuttle Service. Vayu Vajra, with a fleet of 40 air-conditioned Volvo buses, will operate on nine routes, covering a total of 26 en-route pick-up points spread across the city, said Tripathy.

The nine selected starting points in the city are: Hebbal, Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station, Jeevan Beema Nagar, HAL Airport, J P Nagar VI Phase, White Field, Koramangala, Electronic City and Kempego wda Bus Station. The longest route of Electronic City to BIAL will have a travel time of two hours and 45 minutes and will cost Rs 200.

Buses on each route will leave with an interval of 10 to 15 minutes. The 24X7 service will have less frequency in the night. Vayu Vajra buses provide room for air travellers’ luggage, helper for luggage handling and collapsible ramp for wheel-chair bound passengers.

A 100 Suvarna non A/C buses will operate on the same routes as Vayu Vajra, only during the peak hours from 8 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm. These buses will have limited en-route stops to conserve time. Vayu Vajra and Suvarna together will provide a bus every three minutes in the peak hours, said BMTC officials.

Ten Trumpet Interchange Shuttle buses will connect Trumpet Interchange Bus Terminal (airport perimeter) to the Airport Terminal. The frequency will be very high and the buses will preferably be Vayu Vajra Volvo buses.

BMTC is planning to tie-up with star hotels in the city for passenger pick-up. Suvarna Peak Hour Service for the whole city will also be started soon with a fleet of 500 buses, said Tripathy.

Hailstones pelt city; trees fall, traffic crawls

Hailstones pelt city; trees fall, traffic crawls
Monday March 31 2008 07:23 IST

ENS

BANGALORE: For 15 minutes, between 3.10 pm and 3.25 pm, people in Koramangala, BTM Layout and surrounding areas were pleasantly surprised by the sudden and heavy rain that brought with it this year’s first hailstones.

Through the heavy showers which extended for about 30 minutes before reducing to a drizzle, children and adults alike were seen picking hailstones excitedly.

But the showers also brought down tree branches, disrupting traffic. Cases of tree fall were reported at Koramangala, Jayanagar and Austin Town. A tree inside the St John’s Medical College Hospital premises fell on an autorickshaw. Another tree at Koramangala BDA Complex fell on two cars.

Electric cables snapped on the service road in Koramangala near Raheja Arcade, next to Monday to Sunday outlet and at Rupena Agrahara. However, no injuries were reported.

Traffic was clogged for more than an hour at the Bangalore Dairy Circle flyover and extended up to Forum Mall due to the fallen tree branches and water logging on the roads. While four wheelers were stalled on the roads, twowheelers riders tried to wade through ankle-deep water.

Although branches were being cleared immediately, there was a traffic pile-up on Hosur road near Christ College and vehicles heading towards the Central Silk Board were diverted through Adugodi and Bannerghatta Road.

The forecast from the Meteorological Department states that there would be no significant change in the weather for the next two days. On Sunday, the Met office recorded a rainfall of 1.4 mm in the city and 6.4 mm at the airport.

For the entire State, the weather forecast states that there would be rain or thundershowers over south interior Karnataka and mainly dry weather will prevail over all districts of coastal Karnataka and north interior Karnataka.

Heavy rains also caused clogging of drains in Manjunathnagar, Hoskerehalli and Ittamadu. A few houses were flooded.

Bangalore leads Wi-Fi wave

Bangalore leads Wi-Fi wave
Monday March 31 2008 07:07 IST

A T Subrahmanya

BANGALORE: Tech-savvy Bangalore is being globally viewed as the city that would spearhead a Wi-Fi initiated movement to sweep personal computers (PCs) out of the arena.

With India’s over 240 million cellular subscribers increasingly using handsets for entertainment and social networking applications, Indian residents are likely to use Wi-Fi without ever owning a computer, states a report by Wi-Fi Alliance, a global, non-profit industry association devoted to promoting the growth of Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs), and TonseTelecom.

Kelly Davis-Felner, Senior Marketing Manager, Wi-Fi Alliance, told this website's newspaper via email that "Especially in a growing and techsavvy city like Bangalore, Wi-Fi is an important technology to keep citizens connected and business moving forward." She said that in particular, the boom in Bangalore’s residential, retail, and hotel development would bring with it increasing Wi-Fi availability for residents and visitors.

The report "Wi-Fi in India: A Key Enabler of Economic, Social and Community Development" states that while heading towards this revolutionary transformation on India’s technological horizon, the Wi-Fi market for networking gear in India will cross $ 890 million by 2011-12, recording a 36% compound annual growth rate from 2008, according to a study.

It states that Wi-Fi technology adoption was on the rise in India, and the world’s most pervasive wireless local networking technology is enabling social and economic development across the region.

A strong indicator was the growing laptop sales, rising broadband penetration and pervasive use of mobile phones for rich content transfer as key harbingers of Wi-Fi use among a growing segment of India’s population.

With real estate development exceeding 30% annual growth, deployment of Wi-Fi networks in new residential and retail construction is cited as a key opportunity for the manufacturers and service providers.

Sunday, March 30, 2008

Five resounding slaps and still no mending of ways

Five resounding slaps and still no mending of ways
H S BALRAM


Any sensible person, reprimanded time and again in the harshest of terms for a misdeed done, will try to reform himself. But some of our netas and babus are thick-skinned. Take the case of the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) project, which comprises an expressway and several townships en route. On as many as five occasions in the past three years, the Supreme Court castigated them, slapped contempt notices and even fined them Rs 5 lakh for not allowing the project to progress smoothly. But they refused to budge, leave alone learning a lesson. Not just that. They kept moving the court again and again, with a view to delaying the project and thereby, it seems, protecting vested interests and settling scores with political rivals.
Some of the hard-hitting observations that the court made in April 2006, in its first stinging slap on the government and its bureaucrats, while disposing of all petitions against BMIC as frivolous and mala fide, are worth going through again:
It appears that there could hardly be a dispute that BMIC is a mega project, which is in the larger public interest. Merely because there was a change of government, there was no necessity for reviewing all decisions taken by the previous government, which is what appears to have happened. (The court’s reference was to Deve Gowda and his remote-controlled Dharam Singh and H D Kumaraswamy governments, which suddenly smelt a fraud in the allotment of land for the project, just because the previous government headed by arch rival S M Krishna had given the final clearance. Ironically, Gowda had initiated the project.)
The state government cannot be permitted to change its stand. Permitting the argument on excess land to be heard again (after the state high court had cleared the project) would encourage dishonest, politically motivated litigation. The judicial process cannot be abused for political reasons.
When the state’s acts of omission or commission are tainted with extreme arbitrariness and with mala fides, it is certainly subject to interference by the constitutional courts.
But this stern order didn’t deter the netas and their yesmen in the bureaucracy. They moved the court to review its order, only to get another slap. More slaps followed when they kept approaching the court. They had no effect on them. They went ahead and hatched a plan to take over the project and hand it over to another consortium, whose credibility was not known. The court immediately stayed that move with yet another slap. Finally, a few days ago, the court issued contempt notices to seven top bureaucrats for their attempt to disobey its orders.
The BMIC project was initiated to connect Bangalore with Mysore, a tier-II city and a growing IT hub, with a view to decongesting the silicon city. The project was conceived when Deve Gowda was CM. Subsequent governments endorsed and completed the formalities. The S M Krishna government gave the final go-ahead. The project was put on fast track, environment clearance given and a land lease agreement signed. After that, it got caught in a political web.
An expressway to Mysore is a necessity. Fast connectivity will help many companies move to this city, taking along thousands of workers. Not only will it give a big boost to Mysore’s economy, but help Bangalore shed some of its load. It is sad that an ambitious project that can improve the much-needed connectivity is being scuttled. The cost of the project has risen several fold because of the delay. The stateof-the art expressway is half-finished as land at various points on the route has not been given by the government.
Political heavyweights and many of their supporters in the bureaucracy are said to possess this land. They are the ones who are accusing the builders of having acquired excess land. They don’t mind reaping benefits of the project once it comes up close to their land. Now that the state is under President’s rule, free from political control, the government must ensure that the Supreme Court order is implemented in letter and spirit. Poor connectivity is the bane of not just Bangalore, but the entire state. We need good roads, elevated roads, expressways, underpasses, subways, speed rail, metro rail, etc. We must not allow vested interests to come in the way of development.

The road alongside troubled waters

The road alongside troubled waters
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore:
January 22, 1996: The then Bangalore Mahanagara Palike partnered with five civic bodies to safeguard Madiwala Lake against any non-forestry activities
March 29, 2008: The BBMP brought three JCBs, uprooted over 40 bamboo clumps planted by the jogging path on Saturday to build a road along the lake.
BBMP commissioner S Subramanya said the civic agency has deposited the necessary money to Lake Development Authority (LDA) to build a 310mx24 m road on the tankbund area of the 114.6-hectares Madiwala Lake (registration No. 275). It’s spread across four villages — Billekanahalli (survey No. 64), Roopena Agrahara (survey No. 11), Madiwala (survey No. 76), Kodi and Chikkanahalli, (survey No. 23).
But the forest department is in no mood to allow the BBMP to construct the road since it has claimed ownership over the lake since 1992. “The lake was with the minor irrigation department’s custody and was handed over to the forest department in 1992 after the Lakshman Rau report was tabled. Though the LDA is a governing body, it has no power to grant any land,’’ said forest officials.
On Friday night, forest department officials asked zonal engineers not to carry out any construction without its permission. But on Saturday, the mud was levelled and bamboo clumps were uprooted. “The bamboo clumps were thrown under the heap of mud. If proved, the case will be booked as per the law,’’ the forest officials added.
Why the road?
Subramanya said the road alongside the lake will ease the traffic congestion at Silk Board junction. Letters written to the LDA revealed the road, if constructed, would improve connectivity between Bilekanahalli and Nayanappa Shetty Palya villages.
The lake was earlier developed by the forest department and land army in 1999-2000, during which the jogging path, bamboo plantation, wetland management plan and channel diversions were created.
Further, Subramanya said: “We have all the necessary permission to make the road. We will approach the principal secretary, who himself gave the green signal to construct the road.’’
“There is no order to construct the road. We found that an apartment has been built even where there is no proper road. Now, the civic body is under pressure to construct the road and it has asked the apartment builder for Rs 10 lakh. The BBMP also said the builder will construct the road,’’ the forest officer added

IT majors shut down 1 hour for Earth

IT majors shut down 1 hour for Earth
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Tech giants Infosys and Wipro, along with Microsoft and Intel, did not forget to do their bit to fight global warming on Saturday night as part of the worldwide Earth Hour campaign.
While Infosys led the pack by shutting off workstations across the country, a few divisions within Wipro and a few individuals from Microsoft and Intel did the same to cut power consumption between 8 and 9 pm. Professionals got together at their divisions and relaxed for an hour.
T V Mohandas Pai of Infosys, an eco-enthusiast, was part of the campaign: “We’ve an Earth Club, which conducts programmes to save energy and power. We collectively participated in the Earth Hour. We did the programme at all our 13 facilities across the country.”
Pai explained that Infosys uses 8 million units of power a month over an average of 20 workdays a month. “We use 400,000 units a day and 40,000 units an hour. While key systems and servers cannot be put off, net to net we will save 20,000 units in an hour. That’s a huge saving for a single company.’’
A Wipro spokesperson said Earth Hour was being observed in sections. “Special groups and individuals interested in saving energy and in green issues participated in Earth Hour. Many employees saved electricity doing it from their homes as well.’’
A few professionals from Microsoft and Intel, too, switched off their workstations. “Microsoft observed Earth Hour at all its offices across the world. In India, we did it as individuals,” an employee said.
Infosys chief mentor N R Narayana Murthy, who appreciated the effort to cut electricity consumption, said there was a need to go beyond the onehour saving. “Unfortunately, we find people not switching off their computers after work. The machines are on 24 hours which is a terrible wastage. We can also save electricity by reducing AC loads, which are heavy in all companies. Saving electricity, though, shouldn’t affect or cut into work. We should reduce electricity consumption without reducing productivity. Switching off computers on time could just be one major way of doing that. And then it wouldn’t be one hour, but hours together of saving.”
ABOUT EARTH HOUR
Earth Hour is the act of turning off the lights for one hour to drive home the dangers of global warming.
On March 31, 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming - coal - by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the world’s attention.
In 2008, 24 global cities were expected to participate in Earth Hour at 8 pm on March 29.

Headed for BIA? Watch out for snakes

Headed for BIA? Watch out for snakes
Amit S Upadhye | TNN

Bangalore: The dog-hit at HAL Airport should serve as a wake-up call for Bangalore International Airport Limited, as the surroundings of Devanahalli, where the new airport is situated, are home to many dangerous animals and reptiles.
An environment assessment report on flora and fauna of Devanahalli, prepared by the Indian Institute of Science in mid-2007, says jackals, pangolins, snakes, monitor lizards, jungle cats, mongooses and a variety of avi-fauna live in and around Devanahalli. The report on reptiles of Devanahalli has recorded 21 snake species in and around the Bengaluru International Airport (BIA).
“Construction labourers who worked at the new airport have identified different species of snakes around BIA. We showed them photos of snakes for identification. The area was also thoroughly surveyed before the report was drafted,’’ reptile conservationist Anees Mohammad, who was in charge of the reptile section of the report, told the Sunday Times of India.
The report has identified many points in the BIA where wildlife could sneak in or cross the runway.
“We have to accept that snakes cannot be completely taken away from their habitat. But their numbers can be reduced by creating an unfriendly environment. BIAL must look at areas like the cargo section and runway stretch. A wall running parallel to the runway is a possible point for entry of snakes. The report had suggestions on reptile management and creating snake hideouts,’’ Anees added.
Though the BIA is taking action to prevent wildlife from sneaking on to the runway or airport premises, Devanahalli’s surroundings harbour a large number of pangolins, which cannot be stopped by walls or barriers.
“Pangolins can dig their way through the ground and pop up anywhere inside the airport. Jackals, too, are found around Devanahalli.’’ said Sharath Babu, BBMP environmental adviser, adding that the international airport has no wildlife specialist to tackle such issues.
Snakes in Jakkur too
Three years ago, two spectacled cobras were rescued from aircraft parked at Jakkur airfield on Bellary Road.
One of the cobras was found in the wheel of a four-seater aircraft, while the other was caught inside a helicopter.
Why do snakes come on to the runway?
There is little human activity on runways. Snakes, who avoid humans and other animals, crawl on to runways when attacked by predators.
Catch a snake and pocket Rs 50!
Apart from gunmen, who often scare away kites flying over the HAL Airport runway, two specialist snake-catchers are on duty alongside the runway and at areas vulnerable to snakes. They are paid Rs 50 for every snake caught. Reptile biologists say snakes rescued at the HAL Airport are not translocated elsewhere.
A suggestion on reptile management
The BIA could deploy trained sniffer dogs to identify reptile movement in the airport. Many airports in Western countries have adopted such dogs to keep a check on snakes, said Anees Mohammad.

50 minutes to reach BIA

50 minutes to reach BIA
B K Chandrashekar

I congratulate TOI yet again on the strong concern shown re garding the quality of life including infrastructure (especially roads). The Unlock Bangalore consultation seemed, as reported, to be of high quality and utility. I have myself tried to champion better infrastructure facilities, better overall quality of life. However, I wish to correct an impression repeated by several people regarding the time taken to reach BIAL from Vidhana Soudha. From the centre of Bangalore, or from areas around Vidhana Soudha, it does not take 2-3 hours as declared by several people at the Unlock Bangalore discussion.
Just a few days ago, I invited BBMP commissioner Subramanya and member secretary, infrastructure and in-charge of connectivity to BIAL V P Baligar to drive to BIAL from Vidhana Soudha and to time the journey. I inspected the grade separator work at BDA Junction and one or two work spots at traffic junctions and finally at the trumpet interchange near BIAL.
After taking time spent on inspection, it took 50 minutes for the Vidhana Soudha-BIAL journey. I had myself kept track of time required. It is important to record here that I had no police escort with me (I have never used it in Bangalore and rarely do so on my tours out of Bangalore).
With the completion by end-April of the 2-3 grade separators - underpass, the journey will be even quicker. The time that might be taken for those of us who travel from Banashankari or Jayanagar will obviously more than 50 minutes. But surely that would be the case for people from Malleswaram, Sadashivanagar or Indiranagar had the airport been located at Bidadi on Mysore Road, once considered as an alternative to Devanahalli.

We need wide pavements

We need wide pavements
Readers Feel That There Is A Need For Better Civic And Traffic Sense Among The Citizens

Fine motorists driving
on the footpaths
Walk and talk are the best ways to know our city. Alas! Look at the condition of our footpaths. The BBMP and police must punish those who defile footpaths. Please plant
more trees on either side of the road. I JAGADEESH KALMATH Pedestrians and motorists should use footpaths and roads without stepping on others’ shoes. The footpath should be wide enough and reserved for pedestrians and must be totally free from various vendors and parked vehicles. I P A SUKUMARAN
Footpaths should be pedestrian-friendly, so that people don’t walk on roads instead. Preference should be given for pedestrians while crossing the roads as is done in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore. Motorists riding on pavements should be severely punished.
I M S SHARADA PRASAD
With incessant growth in the usage of vehicles, everyone’s stopped considering the safety of pedestrians. Twowheeler motorists ride on footpaths to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams. The traffic police should fine such drivers heavily. In areas rich in greenery, no vehicles should be allowed so that, at least here, people who walk can breathe fresh air. I MEGHANA C KOTHARI
Clear encroachments
All footpaths should be cleared of encroachment so that no bike, auto nor taxi can be parked on them. Construct strong pillars on both ends of footpaths. I RAVI K SURI
The zebra crossings should be painted properly on all city roads with immediate effect. Upgrade footpaths with tiles and slabs and clear encroachments. I SATHEESH L
Footpaths should be free of hawkers, animals, beggars and dabba stalls. Nowadays, two-wheelers ride on them too. Those motorists should be punished. I VIMALA KESARI
Construct subways
Construct low-budget skywalks on all busy roads. Post traffic volunteers on busy roads to facilitate pedestrians to cross the road, especially during peak hours. I M B VENKATESH
At busy junctions, construct some subway/ skywalks. Build good footpaths.I RAVICHANDRAN

Need for radical reforms

Need for radical reforms
Politicians Have The Master Key To Unlock Bangalore
A Ravindra


In its laudable effort to unlock Bangalore, The Times of India brought together a panel of distinguished persons, the stakeholders and the citizens for what turned out to be an absorbing debate on the issues confronting the city. Everyone seemed to agree that we are in a mess but there were different perspectives about what went wrong and what needs to be done.
As to what went wrong, the views ranged from government’s emphasis on rural development in spite of increasing urbanization and lack of an urban planning perspective to a bureaucracy untrained in the art of managing cities and lack of citizens’ participation with politicians contributing to the overall mess. It was indeed a comprehensive diagnosis of the diseases the Garden City is suffering like — poor infrastructure, lack of resources, chaotic traffic, lack of traffic discipline, rampant building violations and corruption.
What initially appeared as a sense of helplessness gradually gave way to a sense of hope with the participants coming out with suggestions to mend matters.
Ravindra suggests: (i) promote public transport through a more efficient bus system and putting the completion of Metro on fast track; (ii) retain HAL Airport and don’t create private monopolies in airport sector; (iii) promote public-private partnerships to improve infrastructure; (iv) train officials in urban and traffic management; (v) give longer tenures to bureaucrats; (v) improve enforcement of traffic regulations, (vi) adopt a people-centred approach and, (vii) create avenues for public participation in city governance.
While the prescriptions are all valid, certain vital issues, in my view, did not receive the attention of the participants. The fundamental question relates to accountability. It is wrong to presume that there have been no master plans for Bangalore. The first Outline Development Plan for the city was prepared in 1972, followed by a comprehensive development plan in 1985, which was revised in 1995. A new master plan-2015 has been brought in 2007. The plans had their drawbacks but what is important to note is the distortion in the implementation of the plans. The zoning regulations and building by-laws have been followed more in breach than in observance. Parking spaces gave way for commercial purposes. Sites earmarked in the plan for civic amenities were subsequently converted into residential or commercial plots. Imagine, a large locality like Indiranagar not having a bus station. Well, what was in the plan just vanished.
Thus, part of the traffic problems we are facing today is due to the fact we failed to implement our own plans.
So, the first step in unlocking Bangalore is to respect the plans we prepare and follow the rules we make. The authorities must be accountable for what they do or don’t do. Secondly, the planning process needs to be reformed. The BDA happens to be both the planner and developer. Real estate functions have taken priority over city planning. Therefore, the time has come to separate planning and development functions. Thirdly, connectivity cannot be viewed in isolation but as part of the urban planning process which include issues relating to land use, transportation and traffic. Unlocking implies bringing about some radical changes and not just tinkering with the system. Reforms are required both in structures and processes. Primarily, the BBMP needs to be developed into a strong and accountable institution. Bangalore needs a directly elected mayor with requisite authority, and who is accountable to the people. We need a unified planning organization to plan for the metropolitan region and monitor the implementation. A metropolitan planning committee needs to be set up as ordained by the Constitution, composed of elected representatives as well as experts to guide the planning process. The Bangalore metropolitan land transport authority must be made a statutory body and professionals need to be inducted into such organizations. Space must be created for citizen participation in institutions such as ward committees and other interactive processes.
Some short-term measures are imperative. While connectivity to the airport is considered as the top priority, pedestrian connectivity seems to have been totally ignored. Safety of the pedestrians is literally at the crossroads which needs urgent attention.
Aristotle said: “People obey laws not because they love the law but because they fear punishment.” Once laws are enforced, citizens of our city will abide by the laws. Each stakeholder may have a key to unlock Bangalore but the master key is with the political leader.
(The writer is visiting faculty at Centre for Public Policy, IIM, Bangalore)

Airport opening hits air pocket

Airport opening hits air pocket
Poll Code Of Conduct May Push Inauguration Beyond May 11
Anshul Dhamija | TNN

Bangalore: Polls could be the spoiler this time. As the Bengaluru International Airport at Devanahalli dresses itself up for the revised inauguration date of May 11, uncertainty hangs threateningly low. With assembly elections likely to be held in May, the code of conduct for political parties could kick in anytime soon, either delaying the airport inauguration or stripping the event of its pomp.
According to top civil aviation ministry officials, under the electoral code of conduct, BIA would be allowed to have an informal opening minus the gala function. This clearly forbids any politician from participating in the inauguration. Top Karnataka government officials confirmed this. Senior BIAL officials told STOI the assessment of whether there’s to be a function or not will be based on the “collective decision” taken by BIAL and the civil aviation ministry.
Now comes the question: will the Rs 2,500-crore greenfield airport open on May 11? Not likely. The airport may take off only after the elections are over. A delay of two months is no big surprise.
The run-up to the opening of Hyderabad airport, which shared a symbiotic construction relationship with the Bangalore one, saw a lot of fanfare. A similar gala event in Bangalore is, therefore, only to be expected. Both BIA and Hyderabad airport are the first mega greenfield international airports developed under public-private partnership. Sources said all eyes are now on the whip that will be issued from New Delhi. Sources close to top BIAL officials said the senior management of the new airport has resigned to the fact that the opening date depends entirely on political compulsions and pressures.
STOI had earlier reported that the Centre’s directive of asking the BIA to choose an opening date post May 10 would directly coincide with assembly poll calendar. Any further postponement would give the governor’s cabinet, which’s holding the administrative reins in the power vacuum that prevails now, ample time to finetune the infrastructure apparatus.
Poor connectivity and high costs that people would have to endure with the opening of the new airport seem to have put political parties, especially the Congress, on the backfoot. Sources said the Congress high command is cued into the developments and is in touch with the civil aviation minister.
Even in Hyderabad, a political game was played out in the airport opening. The scheduled opening date — April 16 — was pushed to April 22 expecting Parliament to go into recess. With this, the government steered clear of Left or the opposition barbs.
Snakes on a plane? Bangalore: There is a new threat to the Bangalore International Airport Limited — dangerous animals and reptiles.
An environment assessment report on flora and fauna of Devanahalli, prepared by the the Indian Institute of Science in mid-2007, says jackals, pangolins, snakes, monitor lizards, jungle cats, mongooses and a variety of avi-fauna live in and around Devanahalli.

Traffic thrown out of gear

Traffic thrown out of gear
D H News Service,Bangalore:
It was traffic snarls galore in the city, courtesy, Rahul Gandhis visit on Saturday.

As tens of thousands of congress party workers converged at the APMC yard in Jakkur, venue of the party convention, the traffic police had a tough time controlling the chaotic scenes at junctions.
As vehicles were forced to move at a snail’s pace, traffic was stopped at various intersections to make way for the AICC general secretary’s motorcade. The worst affected stretch was National Highway 7, (Bellary/Hyderabad Road), already in a mess due to the road widening work to Devanahalli. This stretch bore the brunt of the VIP visit, as police had cordoned off lanes joining the road as a security measure, even as a posse of cops were deployed.
Thousands of office-goers were put to hardship, even though people had resigned to the fact that a VIP visit without hardships to citizens was impossible.
The scene was the same when Mr Gandhi later made his way back from the convention towards the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office on Queens Road to address a press conference. Vehicles were stuck for hours in the central business district.
Giant cutouts and billboards of the scion of the Gandhi family with state leaders and the ubiquitous congress party flags in tricolour were seen in every nook and corner of the city, as the KPCC went all out to welcome Mr Gandhi.
Praveen Sood, additional commissioner of police (Traffic and Security) said that, “Whenever a lakh of people congregate in the city for a public meet some inconvenience is bound to happen. We ensure that minimum inconvenience is caused to public. We had a tough time but did our best. Traffic restrictions were not imposed. Only vehicle movement at intersections was stopped, when the motorcade passed” he said.

Cauvery project: BWSSB allocates Rs 28 lakh

Cauvery project: BWSSB allocates Rs 28 lakh
Bangalore, dhns:
The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board will incur an expenditure of over Rs 1,65,457 lakhs for the financial year 2008-2009 while it is slated to get a revenue of Rs 1,48,745 lakhs for the corresponding period.

The Board will have a total revenue deficit of over Rs 16, 712 lakhs acc ording to budget propos als, passed by the board at its meeting at Cauvery Bhavan on Friday.

Of this amount, the Capital receipts, which refers to contributions from the Centre, the State JNNURM scheme will amount to Rs 93,332 lakhs while the likely expenditure on these major infrastructure projects is Rs 1,01,631 lakhs. “A sum of Rs 28,100 lakhs has been allotted for development work to be undertaken in connection with the Cauvery Water Supply Stage IV Phase II while 200 lakhs will be spent for the Phase I of the project,” said BWSSB chairperson Latha Krishna Rao.

Income through revenue receipts which refers to collection garnered through Water Supply and Sewerage charges and other miscellaneous receipts is expected to touch over Rs 53,454 lakhs while the revenue expenditure is expected to touch 63,826 lakhs.

“A sum of Rs 218 crore will be spent towards power bills alone,” she added.

“For the first time, we have created a shelf of projects which have to be completed within a particular timeframe,” she added. The cumulative budget deficit for the year 2007-2008 was Rs 342.43 lakhs.

Sarjapur-Koramangala stretch needs one

Sarjapur-Koramangala stretch needs one
In this stretch, there are traffic conflicts at 4 locations within a short distance & during peak hours...

BBMP’s plans for a series of underpasses/surfacepasses using pre-cast elements to minimize traffic delays at various locations do not seem to include the stretch of 100-ft road from Sarjapur road to 80-ft peripheral road in Koramangla. In this stretch, there are traffic conflicts at 4 locations within a short distance & during peak hours, traffic piles up almost on the entire stretch between Sarjapur road & 80-ft road.

Traffic moving from the western to the eastern side of 100-ft road (& vice-versa) interrupts mainstream traffic on 100-ft road. Also, some of the mainstream traffic from both directions on 100-ft road turns right into these secondary roads. Thus, in less than a half km of road stretch, there are two secondary roads with considerable volumes of traffic that join on each side of the road with traffic that turns right & disrupts mainstream traffic flow. This is further complicated with limited spacing between these four T-junctions.

The traffic on 100-ft road can be made to flow without interruptions if precast underpasses are fitted as shown in the sketch. At present, only the two secondary roads on the western side are one-ways. Changing flow directions & converting the other two roads to one ways is feasible with minimum inconvenience as the roads are all spaced very close to one another.

Fitting these pre-cast structures will release pressure on the streets now. However, with efflux of time, traffic volumes will increase with improved road & driving conditions & due to their narrow widths, they may turn out to be bottlenecks & pose obstacles to the flow of continuous traffic at some stage.

These ‘quick-installation’ underpasses could be used very effectively for rapid bus services, which are being planned in the city & where space constraints can be a problem.

For example, at Koramangala, the 100-ft road junctions at Sarjapur road, 80 ft road & further at Ejipura road are standard 4-way intersections with signal delays. The Traffic & Transportation survey report by RITES (2007) has recommended a Rapid Bus route from Domlur to Koramangala along the Intermediate ring road & 100-ft road (up to Hosur road). As space constraints may be encountered at these locations, these precast underpasses can be fitted at the three signal intersections for exclusive use of rapid buses to accord priority to them & save on bus transit time.

Debate gains pace

Readers and experts continued to respond to the Deccan Herald initiative “Concrete Solution ?” with their unique thoughts.

The issue is also being hotly discussed on the internet. Naveen Chandra, who launched a debate on a website on pre-cast underpass chose this forum to suggest BBMP construct underpasses using pre-cast technology to ease traffic congestion on 100ft road in Koramangala. Another reader felt that an efficient public transport system is the solution for the city’s burgeoning traffic.

LEADER SPEAKS

Ideal but make it flexible


Though the underpass constructed at Cauvery theatre junction is narrow, it is basically a good technology. A technology can always be re-designed and modified to suit to the local conditions. If a particular traffic junction needs a bigger box, it can be done. And Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) should adopt such a flexibility.

The city is growing fast. Every day around 1,000 vehicles gets registered. Traffic problem is no longer confined to central part of the city. There are hundreds of junctions which needs immediate intervention to smoothen traffic flow. It is not possible to construct big flyovers in all these places. In this context, the new pre-cast underpass is an ideal one.

EXPERT SAYS

Bangaloreans are not mute spectators to new technologies adopted by urban planners to improve infrastructure facilities. They respond to the developments in different forums. One such active forum is Praja Bangalore, a website launched by a few IT professionals with concern about IT capital of the country. Capt Naveen Chandra is one among active contributors to the blog. Naveen, who studied at St Joseph’s College in Bangalore, works for a shipping company in the US. He has travelled across the globe.

Though he stays away from Bangalore most of the time in a year, he keeps updating himself about the city’s infrastrucutre facilities. Contributes articles to the website.

During his vacation in Bangalore Naveen launched a serious debate on pre-cast underpass built by BBMP at Cauvery junction in the website. Many have responded to his write-ups.

On request he walked into Deccan Herald and expressed his views on the technology. He came along with a model for underpass to ease traffic congestion on 100ft road in Koramangala. His write-ups are available at http://bangalore.praja.in

Readers’ Remark

Consider pedestrians too

No doubt the technology is very good. But it will be beneficial only if it is executed effectively. The Cauvery junction underpass, constructed to ease the traffic flow, itself has become bottleneck for traffic because of its narrow width.

BBMP is constructing approaching ramps for the underpass at BDA junction. If the road has to be cut for laying pipeline or any other reason in future the entire the ramps have to be disturbed. I don’t think the Palike has taken any measure to address this problem well in advance.

One more thing is that pedestrians are completely neglected. Once the International Airport starts functioning vehicles will be moving at high speed on Bellary Road. Pedestrian will have tough time to cross this stretch. BBMP should provide pedestrian sub way.

Public transport is the solution

Elevated roads, underpasses, one-ways which have been created in many places are nothing but sqeezing the existing capacity and not more. Vehicles once cleared up through these places are bottled up at next junctions. All these are attributed to bad planning or no planning all these years.

We have reached a point of nowhere. We have many successful stories in many cities in South America which are similar to Bangalore where it is managed without Metro or other sophisticated transport but with public transport through dedicated lanes, creating awareness to the public the benefits of using the same and also sufficient room on the road for walkers and for cyclists. Perhaps many of our civic officials must have also studied the projects and made reports. Bangalore had the ample opportunity to have a circular railway using the existing line. Nobody gave a worthwhile thought to make this a reality.

Further, every government official including top bureaucrats should compulsorily utilise the public transport shunning the dedicated vehicles meant for them. This will give them first hand experience of an ordinary commuter. BMTC executives should come forward voluntarily to make use of public transport as of other passengers which help them understand the problems the public face every day. This move will definitely solve the problem.

K S Someswara, 4th block, Jayanagar

CVS cap likely at twice SAS tax

CVS cap likely at twice SAS tax
By Afshan Yasmeen,DH News Service,Bangalore:
In a bid to make the controversial Capital Value System (CVS) less taxing on citizens, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is likely to fix an upper limit on CVS rates that is not more than 1.5 to 2 times of the tax hitherto paid under the Self Assessment Scheme (SAS).


Following the State government’s directive to stipulate a ceiling for rates under CVS, BBMP officials are working overtime to arrive at a reasonable limit. Top official sources told Deccan Herald on Saturday that the ceiling would ensure that the property owners are not over-burdened.

The officials are toying with two ideas — whether to introduce a uniform cap for all properties, or fix a category-wise limit. “Though we are keen on introducing a uniform cap, it is for the government to decide on it,” the sources said.

The Palike officials are working on various examples of property tax to figure out the range of differences between SAS and CVS. “We will soon arrive at a final rate for the ceiling and place it before the government for approval,” the sources said. The sources said the April 2 deadline announced by Commissioner S Subramanya for the release of information booklets and calculation sheets on CVS could be extended by a few days.
“We are still working on how to make it acceptable to the people. The April 2 deadline is likely to be extended up to April 7,” the sources said. Following criticism from citizens that the tax rates under CVS would be more than five to six times of what they are paying under SAS, the Housing and Urban Development Department had directed the BBMP to consider fixing a limit on CVS rates, similar to the two-and-a-half times cap under SAS.
Under SAS, if taxes shot up abnormally, property owners could just pay two and a half times more than what they were paying earlier, or the actual taxes, whichever is less.



*Ceiling will not burden taxpayers
*Officials undecided over uniform cap or category-wise limit
*CVS booklets may be released by April 7
*Final rate to be sent for government approvalCVS cap likely at twice SAS tax
By Afshan Yasmeen,DH News Service,Bangalore:
In a bid to make the controversial Capital Value System (CVS) less taxing on citizens, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is likely to fix an upper limit on CVS rates that is not more than 1.5 to 2 times of the tax hitherto paid under the Self Assessment Scheme (SAS).


Following the State government’s directive to stipulate a ceiling for rates under CVS, BBMP officials are working overtime to arrive at a reasonable limit. Top official sources told Deccan Herald on Saturday that the ceiling would ensure that the property owners are not over-burdened.

The officials are toying with two ideas — whether to introduce a uniform cap for all properties, or fix a category-wise limit. “Though we are keen on introducing a uniform cap, it is for the government to decide on it,” the sources said.

The Palike officials are working on various examples of property tax to figure out the range of differences between SAS and CVS. “We will soon arrive at a final rate for the ceiling and place it before the government for approval,” the sources said. The sources said the April 2 deadline announced by Commissioner S Subramanya for the release of information booklets and calculation sheets on CVS could be extended by a few days.
“We are still working on how to make it acceptable to the people. The April 2 deadline is likely to be extended up to April 7,” the sources said. Following criticism from citizens that the tax rates under CVS would be more than five to six times of what they are paying under SAS, the Housing and Urban Development Department had directed the BBMP to consider fixing a limit on CVS rates, similar to the two-and-a-half times cap under SAS.
Under SAS, if taxes shot up abnormally, property owners could just pay two and a half times more than what they were paying earlier, or the actual taxes, whichever is less.



*Ceiling will not burden taxpayers
*Officials undecided over uniform cap or category-wise limit
*CVS booklets may be released by April 7
*Final rate to be sent for government approval

Saturday, March 29, 2008

IT driving commercial realty market in city

IT driving commercial realty market in city
Many localities in the city will see large scale commercial development due to the demand from this sector, says
Poornima B V


Bangalore has witnessed unprecedented growth in the past few years, with a huge demand for housing and office space, driven by the IT and ITeS sectors. The city has become a major investment destination and has been expanding on all sides in order to cope with this unprecedented growth. Bangalore South and East have always been the city's IT hubs. It's not surprising therefore, that an increasing number of structures have been converted to IT parks around the city.
Whitefield, Sarjapur Road, Hosur Road, Electronic City and other areas have seen unprecedented growth. Some industrial belts too are witnessing IT related developments. Anticipating this demand, the state government has thrown open some areas in Bangalore West, East and South for IT development.
Another concept that has heralded a new era in the real estate sector is the IT corridor concept in Whitefield which has had a far-reaching effect on the city's real estate prospects. It has redefined the city's status as a global investment destination. A huge influx of multinational companies and the expansion of domestic companies have also added to this growth.
The city attracts a huge floating population, thereby increasing the demand for housing. This has led to the development of residential enclaves, villas and apartments with luxurious amenities that provide a better quality of life. Mixed land use, residential enclaves, community living and integrated housing has meant high investment returns leading to augmentation in the residential sector. According to Knight Frank Research, it is estimated that the city will have a residential supply of approximately 6.4 million sqft by 2009-10.
According to Cushman and Wakefield Research, peripheral locations like the Outer Ring Road, Whitefield, Kanakapura Road and Bannerghatta Road have been the major contributors to the Bangalore residential supply throughout the year. This has been mainly due to the fact that large parcels of land have been available here. Moreover, the development of an IT corridor from the East to the South along the Outer Ring Road, Bannerghatta Road and Hosur Road has led to a huge supply of IT parks, SEZs and campus style developments in these locations. It is believed that suburban and peripheral locations will continue to draw investors from IT and ITsS companies.
Growth triggers
The city is all set to become a global investment hub with various infrastructure related activities being taken up. Projects like the peripheral ring roads, the proposed monorail and metro rail, and the international airport that's coming up, have also triggered new developments around these areas. Bangalore has therefore become a top investment destination for both global and domestic investors.
Office space
According to Knight Frank Research, almost 70 percent of the total office space absorption in Bangalore has been from the IT/ITeS sectors. Micro-markets are easily accessible, have good infrastructure and also have residential localities in the vicinity. Major expansions are taking place here, fueling the development of sprawling built-tosuit campuses.
Although there has been no addition to the office space stock in the central locations, the demand for prime property has been high. Developers are therefore addressing the high levels of demand by providing quality built-up space to satisfy the growing needs of the knowledge sector, which requires large floor plates, ample parking space, captive power, and air conditioning, and building management systems, in peripheral areas.
According to Knight Frank Research, rentals in the CBD have reached a peak of Rs 90 per sqft per month and in off-CBD locations, rental values ranged from Rs 60-70 per sqft per month. This represents an increase of close to 25 percent over last year's values. A further increase in these values is expected due to the lack of new supply.
The rentals in Whitefield are currently at Rs 25-35 per sqft per month. In the southeast quadrant, on Sarjapur-Outer Ring Road, the rental values range from Rs 50-60 per sqft per month while in Bannerghatta Road, rentals range from Rs 50-60 per sqft per month.
Outlook
The Maratahalli - Sarjapur stretch and the Hebbal quadrant of the Outer Ring Road are likely to continue to be the preferred destinations in 2008 with a total expected commercial office space supply of approximately 13.5 million sqft. Of this, 34 percent is accounted by precommitments scheduled to be delivered in the year 2008. Five out of the ten 'notified' non-captive SEZ developments in the city are located in these regions and are likely to account for 2.5 million sqft of supply in 2008.
Keeping up with last year's trend, the peripheral regions will continue to be the highest contributors of supply for the year. Further, rental values are likely to continue to strengthen in the first half of 2008, owing to the limited availability of ready-to-movein supply in the Marathahalli - Sarjapur stretch and the Hebbal quadrant of Outer Ring Road. The city is poised for high-density vertical growth in the future.

Bangalore will emerge as a major corporate destination…’

Bangalore will emerge as a major corporate destination…’
The city is emerging as a commercial hotspot in the region. People from all over the country come here looking for opportunity. Harish Bijoor, brand strategy expert, shares his thoughts on what Brand Bangalore is all about, in this chat with Sangeeta Cavale Radhakrishna


What kind of impact would the international airport have on Brand Bangalore?
I believe the new Bengaluru International Airport gives the city of Bengaluru a visiting card that proudly states the arrival of a happening city that has much to offer India and to the world at large. The new airport facility with its ease of use, its up-dated technology and its promise of a seamless travel experience, complements the many other facilities that have fallen into place in air travel in India. Almost every airline has bent over backwards offering the best of seamless air travel experience. Now, with the arrival of this swanky new facility in Bangalore (and of course the updated facilities at Hyderabad and Mumbai), yet another link in creating that complete travel experience of high quality is almost here. In many ways this airport will become the bench-mark for the definition of easy travel and convenience to all the other projects that have the potential of emerging once this is up and running.
The impact of this swanky new facility on Brand Bengaluru is inestimable. Across the profile of 12 million plus travellers in the immediate short term, and across a spectrum of possibility of a 25 percent growth in terms of number of users every year, the airport spells good news.
What impact will Brand Bangalore have on the world map as an IT hub?
If you map the travel-in and travel-out profile of the international visitor to the city, business traffic far out-weighs tourist traffic. If you dig deeper at the numbers and segregate business travellers into and out of the city, you will find the IT, ITeS, biotech and knowledge sectors of the economy dominating.
The IT traveller is the bulwark of all travel into and out of this city. The new airport will help continue and accentuate the IT-dominated image of the city. The 40 billion dollar IT exports industry owes a substantial chunk of its input and output to Bangalore city.
Will Bangalore emerge as a bigger corporate destination?
Yes it will. Bangalore today enjoys an image as an international corporate destination due to its IT industry. But there is more to Bangalore. Corporate activity out of the city will be all about several industries with an export of products and services bias.
Biotech is one such field. Apart from ITES, retail, and entertainment (particularly the animation industry), medical tourism will be big from here as well. From dental tourism to cosmetic surgery to real true blue surgery of the heart and brain kind, to replacement surgery even, of the knee and hip kind.
Bangalore will emerge as a major corporate destination. The climate has helped. The culture of the people has helped too. Add to it the educational belt that surrounds this city, spread out in centres close to the city such as Mysore, Mangalore, Hubli, Dharwad, and indeed every other educational hub of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh, just across seamless borders.
What will the Metro Rail Project do for the city?
'Namma Metro' will add to the public transport the city has been raising for decades now. Phase I of the project itself provides for connectivity that is impressive. Namma Metro will knit the city and bring in a sensible culture of using public transport in the city. Everyone wants their own set of wheels. Nobody wants to use public transport, simply because of the inconvenience, unreliability and issue of status. This causes the mess on our roads.
Namma Metro holds the potential of reversing the situation. If the Metro can get those who drive the swanky cars at a snail's pace on Bangalore roads onto a faster and more convenient mode of travel called the Metro, the task has been successful.
The solution to tackling the traffic chaos of Bangalore city is not in widening our roads and laying them one over the other in layers of flyovers. When you put up a wide new road, it works well for six months. And then, the road gets filled with more and more vehicles. The only solution lies in reducing the number of private wheels on the roads and increasing the public wheels. The Metro offers one such solution.
Will the city grow as an investment destination?
Most certainly yes for all the reasons I have stated. The investment climate in Karnataka is booming. Retail is flourishing, so much so that all outlets of the retail world are starting their India operations first in Bangalore. Corporate offices want to locate here. The employee market is hot. Employees from all over India want to stamp a stint in Bangalore on their resumes.
Today, Brand Bengaluru is a slick city with a slick and efficient work ethos and practice. This is a happening place to be in.
Do you see Bangalore emerging as a global commercial hub?
This is possible. We need to improve our infrastructure in a major manner before this happens. We are competing with Beijing, Shanghai and Dubai on this count.

Thrust on infrastructure and housing

Thrust on infrastructure and housing
The BDA has an agenda of creating the necessary civic infrastructure apart from developing residential layouts, says
V Nagarajan


The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) came into existence in January 1976 as a successful erstwhile City Improvement Trust Board (CITB) of Bangalore under a separate Act of the State legislature - the BDA Act 1976. This authority combined in itself the planning functions of the city planning authority and the developmental functions of the erstwhile CITB.
The development of Bangalore in a planned manner, creating quality infrastructure, provision of sites and services and catering to the housing needs of the masses are the focus areas of the BDA.
In order to provide a thrust to the ongoing infrastructure development, a number of projects have been proposed and under construction across the city. Among them, specific mention must be made about these.
Peripheral Ring Road
The Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) will connect the growing city's corners at the periphery. The proposed PRR will be 116 km and the total cost of the project including land acquisition is Rs 3,600 crores. The project will be implemented in two phases. Phase 1 will be from Tumkur Road to Sarjapur Road via Bellary Road, Old Madras Road and Varthur Road of a total of 65 km. Phase II will be from Hosur Road to Tumkur Road via Kanakapura Road, Mysore Road and Magadi Road of a length of 51 km. The 100 metre wide PRR will have 8-lane main carriageways and 3-lane service roads on either side with a buffer zone of 14 metres in between. The median of 12 metres will be reserved for metro/mono rail. Survey work of the road has been completed and land acquisition process is in progress.
Civic infrastructure
The works of the underpass at Magadi Road - West of Chord Road junction has been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 24 crores. Towards the construction of a railway bridge near Nayandahalli on Magadi-Mysore Road, the BDA has already deposited Rs 1 crore with the Railways. Tenders have been called for by the railways.
Hi-tech City project on Hosur-Sarjapur Road is on the anvil. The BDA has proposed to take up a corridor connecting the Outer Ring Road to the Electronic City for a length of 8.5 km at a cost of Rs 140 crores. A budget provision of Rs 50 crores has been made during 2007-08 for the formation of this layout.
For a flyover at Agara-Iblur junction, the process of tendering is in progress. This flyover is part of the JNNURM programme, at a cost of Rs 30 crores.
Housing
With a view to encourage vertical growth in the city, the BDA is planning to build multi-storeyed housing complexes in all its forthcoming layouts. All new layouts will have roads of minimum 40 feet width. It has been proposed to allot two lakhs good quality budget houses at affordable prices in places of smaller dimension sites.
In the background of unprecedented litigations creating hurdles in the formation of new layouts, BDA has proposed a new land acquisition policy. Under this policy, landowners will be partners in the development scheme and certain proportion of developed land will be given back to the owners. It will be a win-win situation for both BDA and landowners. The proposal is under serious consideration by the government.
New layouts
The BDA has also planned five new layouts spread over 56 villages in the outskirts of the city in lands identified for residential purposes in the Master Plan 2015. All these layouts are eco-friendly and will be developed with the participation and cooperation of the landowners. The five layouts will yield 1.76 lakh sites of different dimensions excluding CA sites and commercial sites. The BDA will distribute 90,000 sites through public notice. All these layouts will be developed by BDA from its own resources and proposals have been sent to the government.

‘Developing infrastructure is a continuous process…’

‘Developing infrastructure is a continuous process…’
Bangalore’s population is rapidly increasing. The city draws people from all over the country. Infrastructure is the key to development of the city. V P Baligar, Principal Secretary, Infrastructure Development Department, outlines the plans to create efficient infrastructure, in this chat with Sai Prasanna


The city's population is heading for the one crore mark. What plans to augment infrastructure to meet the demand?
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA) and Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) are working on long-term solutions to meet the demand from the increasing population, especially in the transport and housing sectors. For example, ring roads and arterial roads, widening of existing roads, underpasses, flyovers, townships etc are being planned. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is working to augment the drinking water supply and the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) is working to supply power to meet the increasing needs of power in the city. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) will be providing more buses to cater to the demand from the international airport, which is almost ready. It will cater to the needs of the existing passengers and projected increasing demand too.
What kind of infrastructure do you have for the emerging new localities around the city?
BDA has been developing its own layouts where they are providing proper infrastructure. In areas which were newly added to the BBMP, they are planning roads, power, drains, etc. Integrated townships come under the infrastructure department and we are providing all the facilities over there. Also, in the new localities being developed by private developers, 20 percent of the built-up area has been earmarked for low income groups. BDA, in fact, is providing more than 20 percent in localities being developed by it.
What kind of costing will this entail and where is the money coming from?
The cost varies depending on the area as the land costs can vary from about Rs 30 lakhs an acre to Rs one crore an acre. In localities being developed by private developers, they invest their own money to develop sites. The BDA also has sufficient funds for developing the localities that come under them. As regards the BBMP, they need to augment their resources through property taxes.
What are the major projects you have in the short term?
The Public Works Department (PWD) has taken up 46 roads around Bangalore at a cost of Rs 100 crores for development. Around 50 percent of the work on these roads has already been completed. Widening of Bellary Road from High Grounds Police station will be completed in a month's time. All the underpasses will be completed by April end, when the international airport starts functioning. The trumpet interchange will also be completed before the opening of the airport. Different road over bridges (ROBs) by the BDA, BBMP, and the railways will also be completed in the next three to four months. Road widening works taken up by the BBMP will also be complete in three to four months.
What is the long term solution for Bangalore's needs?
The Outer Ring Road (ORR) should be made signalfree. Also, the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), Satellite Town Ring Roads (STRR), expressway to the international airport, and the high speed rail link will all help to provide long-term solutions for Bangalore's steadily growing needs. The development of the elevated road on NH-7, between Hebbal and Yelahanka, is in the planning stage. The elevated road on Hosur Road will be commissioned in the next eight to nine months. The Bus Rapid Transport System (BRTS) will also making commuting easier, by introducing more buses and at a greater frequency. It is also important to make the city pedestrian-friendly by having proper footpaths and pedestrian crossings. Also, the walk-to-work concept should be encouraged within a distance of two to three kilometres.
How long before the civic infrastructure makes commuting in Bangalore fast and easy?
Everyday, more than 1,000 vehicles are being added on Bangalore's roads. In such a situation, it's not possible to provide a solution and then sit back. This is a continuous and ongoing process. So, as the needs of Bangalore rise, we will provide adequate infrastructure simultaneously to cater to the needs.

BMIC promises development all along

BMIC promises development all along
When the BMIC opens up, it will pave the way for growth and development in the region apart from creating the much-needed connectivity, says Deepti Ganapathy


How a city plugs into the world economy impacts local growth patterns and offers opportunity for development. It influences a city's economic prospects by determining how many high-paying service jobs are locally created. And it helps shape what types of development a city attracts and retains. In short, global connectivity has become the new urban barometer - a statistic that will help reveal the health and strength of cities and regions. This is the main reason why Mysore will be making giant strides in growth and
be the next destination for the investors, developers and job-seeking employees.
The three decisive projects that will boost connectivity will be the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (BMIC), doubling of the railway track and the airport that is coming up. Once these three projects are in place, the road, rail and air connectivity that the city will enjoy will have a far-reaching impact on growth all along.
"The 111 km BMIC expressway will act as a catalyst for development in the region", says Manjnath Nayaker, General Manager, Public Relations and Liason, Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises. "This corridor will give greater access to the IT companies, as it connects the Electronic city in Hosur directly to Mysore. The new townships and industrial areas along the corridor will help decongest the city and the expressway will create thousands of new jobs in the existing and new townships, from Bangalore to Mysore. It will open up immense job opportunities", adds Manjunath.
Connectivity and growth
The first trend for any city that is perceived to register growth is the reaction in the real estate market. The correlation of good connectivity and development can be gauged by the fact that emphasis is being given to connectivity which will play a key role. Hence, these projects will be keenly followed and tracked by investors.
Optimism is evident among the members of the IT Forum, Mysore chapter, who said IT business in the city was expected to grow 300 percent during the next few years and the quality manpower output from the University of Mysore and other institutions was set to fuel the city's IT ambitions. With nearly 7,000 English speaking graduates emerging from the city's educational institutions, the entry of business process outsourcing firms and top MNCs in the city, the economy of the city is booming.
Development along BMIC According to Pradeep Mehta, Managing Director of Austrian-based firm AT&S, the industrial and residential townships along the BMIC will give a boost to development in the region. "The growth here would be tremendous in such a scenario," says the former CII Chairman.
The biggest eco-township of 4,000 acres will be situated close to Srirangapatna. Apart from these townships, a stateof-the-art facility comprising three large convention halls which can accommodate 40,000 square metres of exhibition space will also be an added attraction.
"If this corridor opens up, it will bring in investments to Mysore," says K Venkatesh, Head of Operations, Wep Peripherals. "People will start living in Mysore and operating in Bangalore, much like the Pune-Mumbai situation. This will result in an economic boom, with housing and other related enterprises taking off."