From the city’s oldest neighborhoods like Malleswaram to its industrial belts in Peenya and Kengeri, West Corporation is Bengaluru’s most densely populated zone. In an exclusive interview with The Hindu, West Corporation Commissioner Rajendra KV said that we will focus on long-term urban planning, with traffic and growth projections for the next 10 to 30 years to proactively manage expansion and congestion.
Malleswaram and Rajajinagar are gridlocked with traffic, made worse by dug-up roads and waiting whitewashes. How soon will citizens expect smoother commuting?
Emphasis is placed on road widening projects where concrete work is underway. Coordination between different agencies is essential, especially when it comes to service transfers and water lines, which often delay progress. We are in discussions with the Deputy Commissioner of Police for the West and the Joint Commissioner for the West to explore traffic signal improvements and long-term solutions such as underpasses. We prepare traffic and growth projections for the next 10 to 30 years to proactively manage city expansion and traffic growth. By anticipating future problems, we can implement cost-effective solutions before congestion worsens. .
In many areas like Basaveshwaranagar, Kamakshipalya and Kengeri, black patches of uncollected garbage continue to remain despite repeated cleaning efforts.
Most primary collection points are working well and street sweeping has improved, but there are still problems with automatic tippers, especially in areas where one contractor serves multiple departments. We are addressing this issue through a new tendering process to improve coverage and efficiency. We are working to identify more mass waste generators and assign specific agencies for each type of waste. We also encourage on-site and community composting, particularly of leaves and organic waste, to reduce the burden on landfill. Black spots remain a problem and as one solution does not fit all we are exploring flexible collection models such as twice daily collections in high density or working class areas.
Industries in Peenya produce a lot of waste and residents claim that industrial effluents are discharged into nearby drains, worsening the pollution in the Vrishabhavathi valley.
In Peenya and RR Nagar industrial areas, each with more than 1,000 units, there is a need to streamline industrial infrastructure. my experience in other large districts shows a common problem – lack of common sewage treatment plants (CETP). Normally, such power plants should serve all units together, but this was not implemented here, mostly due to problems with older versions, not an individual fault. Coordination between Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board and Pollution Control Board is required. I plan to involve local industry associations, assess tax compliance and explore what support we can offer while ensuring industries meet green mandates such as connecting to CETP or building new ones etc. It is a challenging but necessary task.
Core constituencies like Basavanagudi, Malleswaram and Rajajinagar often get faster civic jobs, while outer constituencies are left to wait.
These areas have historically been faster because they are older, well-established parts of Bengaluru with stronger infrastructure and income. In contrast, the outer areas like Hemmigepura, Ullal and Herohalli are newer, mostly residential and still developing. To balance this, we will ensure that funding is allocated fairly based on need, not just existing infrastructure. We also plan to increase local revenue through better property tax collection and the use of government land for leases, advertising or public-private partnerships.
In areas like Nagarabhavi, Nayandahalli and RR Nagar, flooding remains a recurring nightmare whenever it rains, allegedly due to missing connections and encroachment on storm water drains.
I have seen several episodes of heavy rain in the last few weeks. While I wouldn’t call it torrential, the rainfall was significant. However, there was no major stagnation of water in our areas and no homes were flooded. I have received very few complaints, even from low-lying areas, which shows that the drainage system generally works. However, I plan to study the local rainfall patterns, terrain and stormwater flow in more detail to identify potential problem areas.
The West Corporation is said to be receiving a major share of the funds
Since West Corporation covers a large area, it is likely that we will receive the main share of funds. However, no final decisions have been made yet. The government is expected to take a rational approach and not just allocate funds arbitrarily. Currently, our revenue collection is limited, so we are actively working to secure more funding.
Published – 19 Oct 2025 20:01 IST
