‘Public messaging for civic issues is a must’

BENGALURU: I am a Bengalurean and have lived here for over 30 years, having seen the city change from being a place with an almost an air conditioner-like weather and hardly any traffic to how we know it today. As I see it, the main issues we face today are the traffic congestions, poor garbage collection, and other quality of life issues like electricity supply, etc. Our road network is not capable of handling the large number of vehicles, and this is not going to change.

But we can still have our roads laid well and maintained well, which along with the expanding Metro network and better bus service, will ensure that we use what we have effectively. Any company which gets the contract to lay roads must be held accountable for their work. We should have effective public communication among all residents about maintaining road discipline. 

As far as the garbage collection and management is concerned, there were several MNCs that had offered solutions to waste management which was going to produce energy as a byproduct. Unfortunately, we have gone back to dumping garbage in nearby villages and this is not sustainable. We must revisit all of those ideas for waste management. Again, we need constant public messaging about how we should not litter. 

In a couple of years, I would like to see Bengaluru on its way to becoming one of the better cities in India and the world, continuing to be a hub for innovation, technology and a welcoming city for all people. Bengaluru has a rich tradition of producing some of the world’s best sportspersons and if we have to continue this tradition, our government has to step up. We need many more sports stadiums like Kanteerava stadium and should ideally have 7-8 more sports facilities set up around different parts of the city. 

Corporates based in Bengaluru should also contribute to sports and invest in athletes and coaches and academies. The first step would be to get everyone to participate in sports at all levels. Everyone will reap the benefits of being fit and disciplined. I feel that involving sportspersons in the government’s sports department will go a long way in achieving these goals.  Solution: We must take individual responsibility to better ourselves, be disciplined and push ourselves to achieve the best. There are no limits but those that we set ourselves.