Bengaluru Plan to Restore Blue-Green Spaces Gains Momentum
As Bengaluru grapples with worsening urban heat, rapid concretisation, and depleting water bodies, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is taking a decisive step towards sustainability. The civic body’s Forest, Environment, and Climate Change Management Cell is set to introduce a Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) for Blue-Green Infrastructure Network (BGIN), providing a structured framework for rejuvenating the city’s natural assets. Slated for release in March, the SoP will guide officials and contractors in systematically restoring lakes, stormwater drains, and green corridors. This initiative forms a crucial part of the Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) and aims to mitigate the environmental degradation caused by unchecked urbanisation.
Urban Expansion Intensifies Climate Challenges
Bengaluru’s rapid transformation into an IT hub has come at a steep ecological cost. Over the past two decades, the city’s built-up area has skyrocketed from 37.5% in 2003 to 71.5% in 2023, significantly reducing green spaces that once regulated temperatures and supported biodiversity. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) indicates that the heat index in Bengaluru has risen by 2% over the last 20 years, with average summer temperatures climbing by 0.5°C since 2001. Experts attribute this to extensive concretisation, which has disrupted the city’s natural cooling systems. The lack of adequate water conservation strategies has further exacerbated groundwater depletion, leaving Bengaluru vulnerable to water shortages and extreme heat stress.
Sustainability as a Core Urban Priority
The new SoP is expected to offer a scientific approach to addressing these concerns, ensuring that sustainability is integrated into Bengaluru’s urban planning. The first phase of the SoP, to be launched on March 21 (International Day of Forests), will establish clear protocols for managing blue-green infrastructure. A second, more detailed version, featuring metrics, illustrations, and implementation roadmaps, is set for release in June. By focusing on groundwater recharge, lake rejuvenation, and green cover enhancement, the framework aims to bring back Bengaluru’s lost ecological balance. Environmentalists believe such efforts are critical in creating cooler microclimates, improving urban livability, and enhancing climate adaptability.
A Step Forward, But More Needs to Be Done
While the BBMP’s initiative is a step in the right direction, experts stress the need for more aggressive policy measures to counteract Bengaluru’s rising heat stress and environmental depletion. With summers becoming increasingly unbearable, enhancing tree cover, improving waste-water recycling, and adopting nature-based solutions must become standard practices in urban governance. As citizens and authorities prepare for another scorching summer, Bengaluru’s efforts to reclaim its blue-green identity will serve as a crucial test of its commitment to sustainable urban development.
