Civil society responds to Brand Bengaluru initiative; submits collective response

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The Congress government in the State has launched a Brand Bengaluru campaign to collect citizen responses on improving various aspects of city governance, including environmental services and management.

Some of the specific intersections highlighted include waste management, flood management, green spaces, infrastructure, health, mobility and water conservation.

The participation from citizens is likely to target and be heard by the BBMP, BDA, Department of Urban Development, and the E-governance cell. Several civil society organisations came together as a response to the government’s initiative for making Bengaluru a betterorganised metropolis.

The 10-day-long window for submitting suggestions comes to an end on Tuesday. Organisations working across urban system reform services and protection of the environment have urged the government to look into their recommendations and have an open-door policy for collaborations on key areas of work.

The collective response is also an outcome of the ClimateRISE Alliance’s solutions-based approach for creating sustainable and resilient Bengaluru.

The partners of the alliance include Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Socratus, Saahas, Reap Benefit, Janaagraha Centre for Citizenship and Democracy and many other think-tanks and expert civil society outfits. Preparation of flood management plans with structural and non-structural strategies (as per NDMA guidelines for urban flood management, 2010) with support from District Disaster Management Authority and BWSSB.

Carrying out a campaign to map flood points and areas with water stagnation across the city and collaborating closely with citizens to collect real-time data on flood points.

Adopting a sponge city approach and implementing nature-based solutions like bio-swales, recharge wells, wetlands, and parks for water infiltration and flow control.