An inglorious mess. That is precisely what Bengaluru’s bizarre, chaotic outward expansion has become, despite decades spent articulating the crying need for planned, regulated, controlled growth. How long should the city wait for a Master Plan that really works?
The last such attempt, the Revised Master Plan (RMP 2031) was scrapped two years ago. By all accounts, a new plan would take at least two years. But there is no sign that work on a draft is in the making. Does this mean Bengalureans would have to perennially endure the consequences of random infrastructure projects envisioned with zero connection to what the city really needs?
Tasked with preparing the draft, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had insisted that groundwork on the plan would be taken up on priority. Last year, the new commissioner had talked about drone surveys to identify the residential, commercial, agricultural and other zones, analysing the city’s planning needs for the next 10 years. He had agreed it was a long process and a survey was only the first step.
