Bengaluru’s beloved botanical garden, Lalbagh, is set to receive a significant boost with a ₹10-crore grant. Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D.K. Shivakumar made the announcement on Saturday, emphasizing that the funds would be utilized to bring to life various development plans proposed by the city’s residents.
In addition to the Lalbagh initiative, Mr. Shivakumar pledged collaboration with the Forest Department to pinpoint suitable areas on Bengaluru’s periphery for new tree parks. This ambitious goal aims to expand the city’s green cover, mirroring the tranquility and beauty of existing treasures like Lalbagh and Cubbon Park.
This significant announcement came during the inaugural ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ initiative – the first of six planned park walks designed by Mr. Shivakumar to engage directly with citizens. The program’s core objective is to gain firsthand insight into urban challenges, collect valuable public suggestions, and ensure that citizen voices are integral to the city’s development trajectory. The initial walk focused on the Bengaluru Central Corporation area.
Specific allocations were outlined for several crucial improvements within Lalbagh. These include a complete overhaul of the cherished rose garden, replacing the current paid public restrooms with free facilities, introducing a daily ambulance service, and stationing a doctor on-site for emergencies.
Furthermore, the Deputy Chief Minister confirmed plans for the construction of a new open-air gym, promoting health and wellness among park visitors.
Engaging with Citizens: The Lalbagh Walk
The ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ campaign commenced promptly at 7 a.m. on Saturday within Lalbagh, extending until 11:30 a.m. During this time, Mr. Shivakumar dedicated himself to hearing the concerns of citizens who joined him for the morning stroll. He was joined by key officials, including M. Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA); Tushar Giri Nath, Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development Department; Karee Gowda, CEO of Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited; and B.S. Prahallad, Technical Director of BSMILE, alongside other central corporation officials.
During his walk, Mr. Shivakumar encountered a pothole within Lalbagh, a common sight across the city, and promptly instructed officials to address it. Officials informed him that the park’s pathways had not been asphalted in approximately a decade. A suggestion was also put forth to desilt and fence the Lalbagh lake, enhancing its condition and safety.
As the Minister invited officials to respond to citizen inquiries spanning from streetlight malfunctions to persistent parking woes, the public enthusiastically appealed to Mr. Shivakumar to institutionalize these interactive walks. The recurring themes of concern included perennial civic challenges such as waste management, road potholes, sluggish property clearance processes, insufficient parking solutions, deteriorating infrastructure, and a perceived lack of responsiveness from civic authorities.
Deeper Civic Concerns Surface
Venu, a South Bengaluru resident, proposed an insightful solution for tackling future urban challenges: integrating lessons on civic responsibility into school curricula. He also highlighted the pressing issue of poorly lit areas in his locality, which unfortunately contribute to safety concerns for women.
Namitha Shetty, a frequent visitor to Lalbagh, voiced her frustration regarding excessive noise pollution in South Bengaluru. She noted that numerous events often extend beyond permissible hours, attributing the issuance of such permissions directly to political influence.
A critical issue brought to the forefront by citizens was the severely deteriorated state of roads providing access to hospitals, highlighting a significant public safety and healthcare concern.
In response to Mr. Shivakumar’s social media announcement about the ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ initiative, many online users chimed in with suggestions, urging him to visit specific localities to witness the ground realities firsthand. They supported their calls by sharing vivid photographs of roads riddled with potholes, overflowing with garbage, and prone to flooding, underscoring the potential utility of his personal inspection of these problematic areas.
Just before the walk concluded, Mr. Shivakumar took a moment to enjoy the tranquility by the lake, where a woman spontaneously offered a devotional song. He also shared his pleasure in hearing praises for Bengaluru from visitors hailing from various other states, a testament to the city’s widespread appeal.
The ‘Walk with Bengaluru’ initiative unfolds shortly after the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) convened its inaugural meeting on Friday. This meeting followed the recent release of a draft detailing the newly delimited 369 wards under the GBA’s jurisdiction. Concurrently, political factions have already commenced strategizing for the long-awaited civic body elections, anticipated to take place next year.