GBA will launch a new infrafix campaign from November 1st

The drive will cover sewers, road and intersection repairs, sewers and storm drains, drinking water supply, sewers, street lighting, public transportation, lakes, parks, waste management, tax collection, public property protection and traffic management. | Photo credit: File photo

Even as the Freedom from Waste campaign is underway, the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will launch a new campaign from November 1, called ‘Ward One’, which will focus on addressing infrastructure issues.

Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Wednesday that as part of the campaign, the corporators will undertake a month-long drive to address local civic issues, with road repair and improvement of junctions as a priority.

“Initially, one department in each division will be selected for improvement. Department-level officials will be provided with a checklist for systematic assessment of sanitation and infrastructural deficiencies. Assessment of requirements will begin on Thursday,” he said.

The unit will bring together the parastatals and all associated departments, including Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), traffic police, railway agencies and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB). A corps level committee will be formed consisting of officials from all departments. The committees will coordinate the required works, monitor progress and prepare an implementation plan based on the time required to complete sanitation and improve infrastructure in each selected ward.

“Assistant engineers, junior health inspectors and marshals will inspect roads and public spaces, identify outstanding problems and map each problem to the department responsible for solving it,” Mr. Gowda said.

According to a GBA source, in the first seven days, one department in each division will be selected to implement the improvement works. Based on results on the ground and lessons learned, the unit will be expanded to other departments. GBA aims to cover all departments.

Mr. Gowda said the rains have subsided and infrastructure work could begin during November. He said the priority would be to improve and modernize intersections.

The exercise will involve identifying junctions in each ward that are notorious for traffic problems and preparing dedicated plans to upgrade them. The plans will include input from traffic police, commuters and local residents. Mr. Gowda added that better road conditions and better management of intersections could help reduce traffic congestion.

“To gather such micro-level details, we need time and dedicated staff. So the first week of the trip will be devoted to understanding the implementation issues and the plan will be modified accordingly,” a GBA source told The Hindu.

You need others to act

When asked about the progress of the other drives conducted earlier, Mr. Gowda said that the clearing of debris is going on and that the work is continuing. He said that in the meantime, the path to cleaning the sidewalks had been completed to some extent, acknowledging that the “interventions” had returned.

“No job can be done 100% in this system, but when we work together, some degree of success can be achieved. The burden should now also be shared by local leaders who must take action on the ground to ensure that the work is sustained and becomes a continuous process,” he said.

Published – 28 October 2026 20:30 IST