Battle to get BBMP nod kills citizen-led projects

A cycle renting service was recently inaugurated at Sanjaynagar. The launch, however, came over two years after the idea was mooted by Citizens for Sustainability (CiFos) as part of the Neighbourhood Improvement Partnership (NIP) challenge organised by United Way of Bengaluru in 2015. The team won a grant for the project, which aims to provide cycle stands in the ward of Sanjaynagar to promote cycling.

Along with this one, 11 other projects also won grants, but only four have seen the light of the day, despite funds being available. While logistics proved to be a problem for some, most were grounded due to lack of support from the civic body.

Neighbourhood maps

For instance, the Indiranagar 2nd Stage League's proposal to provide neighbourhood maps for ease of navigation is awaiting approval from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP). Their plan was to have bilingual signages that would direct people to landmarks in the area, a neighbourhood map with helpline numbers, location of government offices, transit network and road names, along with a city map.

Praveen Sundaram, who designed the maps, said that working with the BBMP has been a daunting task. “It was a simple project to help people get around without needing to ask anyone for help. Despite a ground survey by the local engineer and a letter from the commissioner to go ahead with the project, it is still in limbo. We have gone to the BBMP over 25 times in the last two years, but got nothing more than assurances. Now, officials say the file is lost. It is very disappointing for citizens who put in effort and time to improve their neighbourhood while the civic body, which is responsible for the neighbourhood, does not even acknowledge it,” he said.

Wasted time

A proposal to redesign an existing garbage transfer point in Defence Colony by the residents' association DECORA, also met with a roadblock. According to Anoop Hegde, the association had met civic officials several times requesting permission to set up a garbage transfer station to handle waste from the neighbourhood, but failed. “We had multiple meeting with the authorities, but nothing materialised and we had to give it up,” he said.

HAL 3rd Stage Residents’ Welfare Association won a grant for its wet waste composting and permaculture idea. They want to set up a waste segregation model for the neighbourhood comprising 250 homes. This would include a ‘2 bin 1 bag’ system for enabling segregation at source and a wet waste management comprising of in-situ composting and permaculture in the neighbourhood park.

“We needed space for composting but the BBMP refused to grant any. We even identified a park and then a dry waste collection centre where we could implement the project. We finally decided to abandon the project,” said Meenakshi Prabhu from the RWA.

Solar energy kiosks

Rachita Mitra from Selco Foundation recalls the difficulty in dealing with authorities. Though the project to set up a manned kiosk powered by solar energy to provide lighting and mobile charging services to slumsdwellers and street vendors was launched in March, Ms. Mithra says if they had some idea of the amount of running around they would have to do to get permission from the BBMP, they would have never participated in the challenge.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Association for the Blind, which proposed to turn a neighbourhood park in Sheshadripuram into a disabled-friendly place, has been unable to move forward as members don't know whom to approach in the BBMP.

“It is sad to see that when money is available and communities are willing to make the effort to change the neighbourhood, the governance system is turning out to be a major hindrance. In fact, all the winning projects were shown to the civic body before the announcement was made,” said Ankit Bhargava, who was part of the NIP organising team.

‘We promote the ones that are feasible’

Stating that the BBMP is all for promoting neighbourhood projects, BBMP Commissioner N. Manjunath Prasad said, "Projects that are put forth by communities and which are feasible will be promoted. The cycling docks in Sanjayanagar, for instance, was initiated by Citizens for Sustainability. We gave them the space to execute it. We are looking to support more such neighbourhood projects in the coming days."