8 task forces will be set up to oversee development in Bengaluru: CM Basavaraj Bommai

BENGALURU: It has been decided to constitute a task force for each of the 8 BBMP zones in Bengaluru, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said.

The Chief Minister was speaking to media persons after visiting the rain affected areas of Nagappa Layout at Ramamurthy Nagar in KR Puram Assembly constituency.

Each task force would be headed by a minister and consist of local MLAs, MPs, MLCs and senior officials as its members. These task forces would oversee the development works, relief operations during floods and other emergencies. Orders in this regard would be issued today itself, Bommai said.

Referring to the flooding in Nagappa Layout, Bommai said, "a huge quantity of water flows into Hebbal valley from Yelahanka and Hebbal. We have decided to set up additional STP plants in places which we visited yesterday. The railway bridge near Horamavu is one of the causes for waterlogging. We have decided to extend and widen the drain further down from the bridge at a cost of Rs42 crore to enable smooth flow of drain water. Tendering process would be initiated soon and work would be completed by next February. Permission would be sought from ITI authorities for land to extend the stormwater drain by another 900 metres. This would ease the flooding problem in 3-4 layouts of Ramamurthy Nagar. Buildings have come up on drains in some parts here and authorities have been instructed to clear them," Bommai said. Construction of houses on lakebeds not to be allowed

The chief minister said the notification allowing construction of housing layout on lakebed has been cancelled. There is no question of sanctioning any layouts on lands notified as lake beds, he asserted.

Replying to a pointed question on BDA issuing a notification to convert a piece of land identified as part of a water body into a land for residential purpose at Doddabettahalli village in Yelahanka taluk , he said, "the notification has been withdrawn immediately."