As art flourishes on metro pillars, citizens flag poor footpaths, flooding and waste mismanagement.
Credit: DH File Photo
Efforts are underway by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to make Bengaluru a “world-class” city by rolling out a series of beautification projects aimed at enhancing the urban landscape as envisaged in the Brand Bengaluru initiative.
From LED-lit Metro pillars, redeveloped traffic junctions and ornamental fountains to landscaped medians, these efforts are being pitched as a step towards making Bengaluru a more “vibrant” city. The civic body has also called the project “Brand Bengaluru – Vibrant Bengaluru”.
The BBMP has earmarked significant funds for these upgrades, with Rs 50 crore allocated for decorative lighting and Rs 25 crore for junction improvements in the 2025-26 budget.
However, questions are being raised over the priorities of the civic administration and whether these projects will be maintained and could be sustained in the long run. Civic activists and citizen groups argue that the focus on aesthetics overlooks core infrastructure challenges such as poor footpaths, traffic bottlenecks, waste mismanagement and flooding. Civic activists also point out that the beautification efforts are largely concentrated in central and upscale areas, leaving out the city’s peripheries and lower-income neighbourhoods.
Loopholes
In February, a view of Windsor Manor Circle’s beautification uploaded by the BBMP official handle on X (formerly Twitter) sparked a social media debate. An X handle named Madhu Sudhan posted a video of a damaged footpath at 27th main HSR layout calling out the authorities to fix it, while another user Kirti Goenka said, “Painting the road is not beautification.”
The unequal distribution of beautification initiatives is another concern among Bengalureans. Citizen activist Tamal Dey, said, “Stop taking funds from Mahadevapura,” while urging the civic authorities to bring their focus on Sarjapur Road, Carmelaram Road, Belagere Road and Panathur Road — that beg for better infrastructure.
While the BBMP maintains that the initiative will be expanded in phases, the lack of public consultation and uneven execution has triggered concerns over whether Brand Bengaluru is addressing the city’s real needs or merely glossing over them.
Kathyayini Chamaraj, a board member at Civic Bangalore, a citizen’s voluntary initiative, wondered – “What’s the use of fountains when there’s a garbage heap nearby?” – on the Vibrant Bengaluru’s plans to install fountains at key junctions.
“There are potholes on the road. We need good solid waste management systems. Once the basic infrastructure is set right, we can think of the beautification of the city. When the garbage and roads are clean, Bengaluru will look beautiful on its own,” she said.
She noted that there is an increased concretisation of drains and suggested the civic body ensure percolation pits are made in the newly built drains.
She also pointed out that many residential and housing complexes in the city have been allowed to put up hoardings, which she describes as “the most unaesthetic look for the city.”
Sandeep Anirudhan, a civic activist added that the BBMP should first prioritise forming a ward-wise task force to fix the potholes. “We need a civic policing team. Some of the most beautiful cities like Singapore and Dubai have strict civic patrolling, to ensure the aesthetics of the city are maintained,” he said, adding that Bengaluru can perhaps adopt models from other cities.
However, urban designer Divya Suresh pointed out that despite Bengaluru’s loopholes in urban infrastructure, LED lighting on metro pillars, murals and paintings on vacant spaces can add value to the city’s beauty. According to her, LED lighting, if done intelligently, can also light up streets without proper lighting.
Speaking about installing fountains at key junctions as part of Brand Bengaluru, Divya said: “Fountains, which typically make use of recycled water, can increase the vapour content and aid in controlling heat. It will not only look aesthetically pleasing but will also be a sustainable way of achieving beauty.”
Maintenance & sustainability
Responding to concerns, BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath said that the civic body has not made any cuts to the budget for street lights.
“The ornamental lighting is designed to inject new energy into the city’s urban landscape and attract tourists. Many cities are doing this. I have seen it in cities like Lucknow and Nagpur. We aim to take it a step further here,” he highlighted.
“There was a freeze in the budget for street lights in the last eight years. In the new scheme of things, we have given permission to a private agency to install up to 25% new street lights,” he added.
He also explained that to sustain Vibrant Bengaluru’s initiatives of lighting up the city, three- to five-year contracts would be given to private agencies for maintenance.
“For Brand Bengaluru, we have taken suggestions from all the stakeholders to have a broader roadmap. We will stick to that and continue to provide dedicated funds to ensure its sustainability and maintenance,” he said.