DISCUSSING INFRASTRUCTURE: President of Karnataka Ownership Apartments Promoters' Association Balakrishna Hegde (second from right) having word with Minister for Industries Katta Subramanya Naidu at an interaction meeting on infrastructure, in Bangal ore on Tuesday. Also seen are Urban Development Secretary Subhash Chandra, Chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board H.C. Sharatchandra and BMP Commissioner K. Jairaj. — Photo: V. Sreenivasa Murthy

Bangalore: With the formation of Greater Bangalore, the additional floor area provided under the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) can be used in the entire 700 sq. km. of Bangalore city, K. Jairaj, Bangalore Mahanagara Palike Commissioner, said here on Tuesday.

This is likely to increase the demand for TDR among builders as construction activity has been intense in the urban local bodies around Bangalore.

He was speaking at a discussion meet on building infrastructure and providing civic amenities organised by Karnataka Ownership Apartments Promoters Association.

The BMP plans to employ the TDR scheme in the road widening projects to be taken up on 85 roads. On a priority basis, 12 roads, including Palace Road, Seshadri Road, Nrupathunga Road and Bellary Road, would be widened, Technical Adviser to the BMP R. Jayaprasad said.

To increase the market for TDR certificates further, notification for land acquisition of all 85 roads would be given at the same time so that a large number of certificates are made available in the market at the same time, Mr. Jairaj said.

Traffic problems

Most vehicles in the city use radial roads in absence of a proper Ring Road network, thereby clogging arterial points in the city, said M.N. Reddi, Additional Commissioner of Police (Traffic).

"The more we build infrastructure, the more traffic we will have over the years. The primacy therefore should be on improving public transport and restriction to central areas in the city," he said

Most roads in the city take double the vehicular capacity currently, with Hosur Road witnessing more than 2.5 times its capacity, he said. A concerted effort must be made to restrict the traffic to its capacity, he said.

Water supply

Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) chairman N.C. Muniyappa said the board had been waiting for the Cauvery Tribunal decision. If the decision was in favour of Karnataka, the BWSSB would make a request for 11 tmcft of Cauvery water, which would be enough to supply water to the entire Greater Bangalore region.

Mr. Muniyappa said 11 Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) would be set up, in addition to the existing 14 STPs. Efforts would be made to make use of its full capacity. Work on laying pipelines in the urban local bodies would be completed by 2009. Repairing the pipeline system in the existing BMP areas would also be taken up, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail