Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

{{Short description|Former Administrative body for the city of Bengaluru}} {{Use Indian English|date=August 2018}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}} {{Infobox legislature | name = Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike | native_name = Br̥hat Beṅgaḷūru Mahānagara Pālike | native_name_lang = Kannada | coa_pic = Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike logo.jpg | coa_res = | coa_alt = The logo of the BBMP | coa_caption = Emblem of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike | house_type = Municipal Corporation | foundation = * {{start date and years ago|1862|03|27|df=y|p=y}} as Bangalore Municipality Board and Bangalore Cantonment Municipal Board * Legalized in 1881 as Bangalore City Municipality and Bangalore Civil and Municipal Station Municipality * Merged in 1949 to form Corporation of the City of Bangalore * Renamed in 1950 to Bangalore City Municipal Corporation * Renamed in 1989 to Bangalore Mahanagara Palike * Renamed in 2007 to Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike | disbanded = * {{End date and age|2025|05|15|df=y}} (Establishment of Greater Bengaluru Authority and start of power transfer) * {{End date and age|2025|09|02|df=y}} (Ceased to exist) | preceded_by = Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (2007) | succeeded_by = '''Apex Body:''' Greater Bengaluru Authority (2025)<ref>{{cite web | title=BBMP's era ends, Greater Bengaluru Authority to begin from May 15 | date=14 May 2025 | url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/karnataka/bbmps-era-ends-greater-bengaluru-authority-to-begin-from-may-15 }}</ref> *Bengaluru Central City Corporation *Bengaluru North City Corporation *Bengaluru South City Corporation *Bengaluru East City Corporation *Bengaluru West City Corporation | leader2_type = Municipal Commissioner | leader2 = Maheshwar Rao M., IAS | leader3_type = Mayor | leader3 = ''Vacant'', since 10 September 2020 | party3 = | leader4_type = Deputy Mayor | leader4 = ''Vacant'', since 10 September 2020 | party4 = | leader5_type = Leader of the Opposition | leader5 = ''Vacant'', since 10 September 2020 | party5 = | leader1_type = Administrator {{small|''(In Absence of Mayor)''}} | leader1 = S. R. Umashankar, IAS | seats = 243 | structure1 = | structure1_res = 300px | political_groups1 = | voting_system1 = First-past-the-post | voting_system2 = | last_election1 = 2015 | next_election1 = (Ceases to exist) | session_room = Bbmp..jpg | session_res = | meeting_place = Kempegowda Civic Hall, Hudson Circle (Corporation Circle), Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560002 | motto = ''Kannada is our breath; Kannada is indeed, evergreen'' | website = [https://bbmp.gov.in/ BBMP] | footnotes = Governed by: '''Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Act, 2020''' | transcription_name = {{small|''Greater Bengaluru City Corporation''}} }}

thumb|BBMP Tower near Corporation Circle, Bangalore

'''Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike''' ('''BBMP''') {{IPA|kn|ˈbɾ͜ɯhɐt̪ bengɐˈɭuːru mɐˈhɑːnɐgɐɾɐ 'pɑːlike|pron|audio=Bbmp kn.ogg}} was the municipal body responsible for maintaining civic amenities and some infrastructural assets of Greater Bengaluru.<ref>[https://bbmp.gov.in/ Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike]. Official website. Retrieved 5 May 2015.</ref> It was the fourth largest Municipal Corporation in India and was responsible for a population of 8.4 million in an area of 712 km2. The boundaries of the corporation were expanded more than 10 times since the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/who-decides-where-your-city-ends-6994|title=Who decides where your city ends?|last=Prasad Idiculla|first=Matthew|date=8 December 2014|work=Citizen Matters}}</ref> From September 2025 it was replaced by five independent city corporations - Bengaluru Central City Corporation, Bengaluru North City Corporation, Bengaluru South City Corporation, Bengaluru East City Corporation and Bengaluru West City Corporation under an apex body for coordination between the new municipal bodies & other parastatal bodies/statutory authorities called the Greater Bengaluru Authority.<ref>{{cite web | title=Greater Bengaluru Authority replaces BBMP as city's governing body | date=15 May 2025 | url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/greater-bengaluru-authority-replaces-bbmp-as-city-s-governing-body-101747249617284.html }}</ref>

Its roles and responsibilities included zoning and building regulations, health, hygiene, licensing, trade and education, as well as quality of life issues such as public open space, water bodies, parks and greenery.

The BBMP represented the third level of government (the Central Government and State Government being the first two levels). BBMP was run by a unelected IAS officer selected by state government during its last stages when city council composed of elected representatives, called "''corporators''" was suspended indefinitely, one from each of the wards (localities) of the city. A range of other statutory authorities exercise certain municipal responsibilities (eg: the Bangalore Development Authority, and BESCOM).

The elections to the council were held once every five years, with results being decided by popular vote. The members contesting elections to the council represented one or more of the state's political parties.

== History == The history of municipal governance of Bangalore dates back to 27 March 1862, when nine leading citizens of the old city formed a Municipal Board under the Improvement of Towns Act of 1850 with a similar Municipal Board formed for the newer Cantonment area.<ref name=":1" /> The two boards were legalised in 1881, and functioned as two independent bodies called Bangalore City Municipality and Bangalore Civil and Military Station Municipality (Cantonment). The following year, half of the municipal councillors were permitted to be elected, property tax was introduced and greater powers given over police and local improvement.<ref name=":1">Ashwini Roy, AS (2015) ''Urban governance in Karnataka'' (Thesis) [http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/38495/6/chapter%202.pdf Chapter 2: Evolution of the Bangalore Municipal Corporation]. University of Mysore.</ref>

In 1913 an honorary president was introduced, and seven years later made an elected position. An appointed Municipal Commissioner was introduced in 1926 on the Cantonment board as the executive authority.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

After Indian independence, the two Municipal Boards were merged to form the Corporation of the City of Bangalore in 1949, under the Bangalore City Corporation Act. The corporation then consisted of 70 elected representatives and 50 electoral divisions and the office of Mayor introduced for the first time. The first elections were held in 1950.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

The name of the council changed — first to Bangalore City Corporation (BCC) and then to Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BMP) in the year 1989.<ref>https://www.bbmpgov.in/historyofbbmp.html History on BBMP</ref><ref>http://218.248.45.172:81/web/guest/about-us;jsessionid=9A469D4416E82C08B0D9929612A48120{{Dead link|date=August 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} History on Bangalore and BBMP Draft</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History - BBMP - The history of municipal governance of Bangalore dates back to March 27, 1862, when nine leading citizens of the city formed a Municipal Board - Online Bangalore (Bengaluru) |url=https://www.onlinebangalore.com/gove/history-bbmp.html |access-date=2026-04-12 |website=www.onlinebangalore.com}}</ref><ref>https://ijesc.org/upload/1e7b316ea21a50911682ed2d7134fa52.A%20Study%20on%20Implementation%20of%20Good%20Corporate%20Governance%20by%20Bbmp%20(Bruhath%20Bengaluru%20Mahanagara%20Palike).pdf A Study on Implementation of Good Corporate Governance by BBMP (Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike)</ref>

In 1989, the BMP expanded to include 87 wards and further increased to 100 wards in 1995, covering an extra area of 75 sq. km. The council also included 40 additional members drawn from the parliament and the state legislature.<ref>https://data.opencity.in/Documents/DocumentCloud/bbmp-restructuring-fullreport.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201224120858/http://data.opencity.in/Documents/DocumentCloud/bbmp-restructuring-fullreport.pdf |date=24 December 2020 }} BBMP restructuring full report</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Functioning of Wards Committees in Bangalore: A Case Study|url=https://civicspace.in/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Study-of-the-Functioning-of-Ward-Committees-in-Bangalore-2003-1-f-1.pdf|publisher=Citizens’ Voluntary Initiative for the City of Bangalore|access-date=11 May 2020}}</ref>

Around the same time, the BMP council passed a resolution that only BDA layouts should be included in its limits and not revenue pockets,{{clarify|date=July 2022}} because of the cost of developing the latter. Around 50 per cent of the expanded BMP areas (meaning at least 40 wards among 100) were revenue pockets at that time. At that time, the BMP proposed betterment charges of Rs.215/sq. yard based on costs of developing those areas. But after the BMP elections of 1996, the council took a decision to reduce betterment charges to Rs.100/sq. yard. The state government (the H. D. Deve Gowda led administration) then issued a notice to the city council demanding why the latter reduced the rates. Subsequently, the state government agreed to the BMP rates.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aradhya |first=H. B. S. |date=2008-12-23 |title=Developed or hodge-podge, you decide |url=https://citizenmatters.in/702-bbmp-layouts/ |access-date=2026-04-12 |website=Citizen Matters |language=en-US}}</ref>

In November 2006, the BMP Council was dissolved by the state government upon the completion of its five-year term. In January 2007, the Karnataka Government issued a notification to merge 100 wards of the erstwhile Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike with seven City Municipal Councils (CMC)s, one Town Municipal Council (TMC) and 110 villages around the city to form a single administrative area <ref>{{cite news|title= constitute the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (Greater Bangalore Municipal Body)|url=https://www.electronic-city.in/about/bbmp-110-villages.php|date=2007-10-20}}</ref> (111 villages mentioned in initial Notification. Later 2 villages omitted from the list and another village added before final Notification).<ref>{{cite news |title=Notification at BMP website - DRAFT |date=16 January 2007 |url=http://www.bmponline.org/account-dept/Greater_Notification1.PDF |access-date=17 October 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020081154/http://www.bmponline.org/account-dept/Greater_Notification1.PDF |archive-date=20 October 2007 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> The process was completed by April 2007 and the body was renamed 'Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation).

The first elections to the newly created BBMP body were held on 28 March 2010, after the delays due to the delimitation of wards and finalising voter lists.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

The second elections were held on 22 August 2015 with the BJP winning the majority with 101 Corporators (Congress won 76, Janatha Dal S 14 and Independents 7). The results were declared on 25 August 2015. With none of the parties touching the required number, the Congress and JDS with the help of independents won the mayor election. The BJP with the majority number of corporators in the BBMP council was forced to sit in the Opposition. On 11 September 2015, B.N. Manjunatha Reddy of the INC was elected Mayor, Hemalatha Gopalaiah of the JD(S) was elected Deputy Mayor and Padmanabha Reddy of the BJP was elected the Leader of Opposition.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

Elections were held in Mar–April 2010 after a period of Commissioner's rule<ref>{{citation|title=BBMP Elections|url=http://bbmpelections.in/|access-date=24 June 2010}}</ref><ref>{{citation|title=BBMP Election Results|date=5 April 2010|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/62189/bbmp-election-result-2-pm.html|access-date=24 June 2010}}</ref> for the BBMP corporators and a Mayor S. K. Nataraj was chosen. Fresh elections were held in August 2015. In 2015 the INC passed a legislation in the state parliament<ref>Karnataka Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2015</ref> requiring the abolition of the BBMP, and its reconstitution as multiple, separate municipal bodies.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/karnataka/stormy-start-to-special-session-on-trifurcation-of-bbmp/article7122081.ece|title=Legislative Assembly passes bill splitting BBMP|last=Prabhu|first=Nagesh|date=20 April 2015|work=The Hindu}}</ref> The government's rationale, as stated in the bill itself, was that the population of Bangalore was too large for a single corporation to administer.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehinducentre.com/the-arena/current-issues/article7607390.ece|title=Who gains from the proposed trifurcation of Bengaluru Municipal Corporation?|last=Rajendran|first=S.|date=2 September 2015|work=The Hindu Centre for Politics and Public Policy}}</ref> The bill recommended that the BBMP be split into three separate municipal corporations ("trifurcation"), but stated the actual number was to be specified by government notification at a later date. The bill was strongly opposed by the opposition in the state parliament<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/150718/nation-current-affairs/article/opposition-opposes-bbmp-trifurcation|title=Opposition opposes BBMP trifurcation|date=18 July 2015|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref> and a majority of the BBMP councillors.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/civic/BBMP-corporators-dont-want-London-Boroughs/articleshow/38331514.cms|title=BBMP Corporators Don't Want 'London Boroughs'|last=Chaturvedi|first=Atul|date=14 July 2014|work=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref> It was also debated in the media.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/BBMP-trifurcation-What-will-it-mean-for-citizens/articleshow/47008175.cms|title=BBMP trifurcation: What will it mean for citizens?|last=Parthasarathy|first=Balaji|date=22 April 2015|work=The Times of India}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newskarnataka.com/bangalore/BBMP-trifurcation-What-will-it-mean-for-citizens-Will-it-work|title=BBMP trifurcation: What will it mean for citizens? Will it work?|date=23 April 2015|work=News Karnataka}}</ref> Commentators noted that the bill takes place against the failure of municipal trifurcation in Delhi three years earlier.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/469178/trifurcation-goes-wrong-demand-mcd.html#|title=Trifurcation goes wrong, demand for MCD merger grows|last=Singh Sudan|first=Avinash|date=2 April 2015|work=The Deccan Herald}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/BBMP-trifurcation-Delhifailed-Can-we-pull-it-off/articleshow/47008163.cms|title=BBMP trifurcation – Delhi failed. Can we pull it off?|last=Lakshmi|first=Seetha|date=22 April 2015|work=The Times of India}}</ref>

In July 2016, the Union Government's Ministry of Home Affairs raised 13 objections to the bill, and sent a request for further explanation to the Karnataka Government, in particular raising the point that an elected body cannot be dissolved before its term ends, leaving the BBMP intact until at least 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/no-bbmp-split-till-2019-centre/articleshow/55607373.cms|title=No BBMP Split till 2019: Centre|last=Chaturvedi|first=Atul|date=25 November 2016|work=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref> It also advised Karnataka to study the consequences of the Delhi trifurcation as it may relate to Bangalore. After holding off on implementing the split for several years, in October 2017, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reaffirmed his objective of carrying out the trifurcation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/civic/bangalore/civic/cms-latest-statement-on-trifurcating-bbmp-reignites-a-heated-debate/articleshow/60903848.cms|title=CM's Latest Statement on Trifurcating BBMP Reignites a Heated Debate|date=2 October 2017|work=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref>

The Karnataka Legislative Assembly passed the Karnataka Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill to increase the number of civic wards in Bengaluru to 250.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/assembly-passes-amendment-bill-to-increase-bbmp-wards/articleshow/78286473.cms|title = Assembly passes amendment bill to increase BBMP wards | Bengaluru News - Times of India|website = The Times of India | date=24 September 2020 }}</ref> On 6 October 2020 a legislative select committee led by BJP MLA S Raghu decided to increase the number of civic wards from 198 to 243, Chief Minister B. S. Yediyurappa approved creating 243 wards. Delimitation Commission, headed by BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad, was set up to decide on how to divide the city into 243 wards. The Delimitation Commission consists of Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner, BDA (Bangalore Development Authority) Chairman and BBMP Special Commissioner Revenue (all IAS officers) as its members.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://newsable.asianetnews.com/india/bengaluru-gets-45-new-bbmp-wards-ymn-qhteov|title=Bengaluru gets 45 new BBMP wards}}</ref>

On 10 December 2020, the B. S. Yediyurappa government passed the ''Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Bill, 2020'' in the Karnataka legislature. The BBMP Act will govern the municipal corporation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/karnataka-assembly-clears-bbmp-bill-proposing-changes-in-city-administration/articleshow/79674937.cms|title=Karnataka assembly clears BBMP bill proposing changes in city administration|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=M|first1=Akshatha}}</ref> Various changes to the BBMP’s structure was incorporated in the new Act. The BBMP Act increased the term length for the mayor and the deputy mayor to five years from one year. It also increased the number of zones from eight to fifteen. All fifteen zones would be headed by a ''zonal commissioner'' who reports to the BBMP’s chief commissioner. The Act also forms ''constituency consultative committees'' (headed by the local MLA, consisting of councillors and resident association members) and ''zonal committees'' to monitor the implementation of projects and address public grievances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-the-fine-print-of-bengaluru-civic-body-bill-passed-by-karnataka-7099951/|title = Explained: The fine print of Bengaluru civic body Bill passed by Karnataka|date = 11 December 2020}}</ref>

== History of electoral results == {| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|- bgcolor="#cccccc" ! SN ! Party !Seats won (2001)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://karsec.gov.in/Urban/38.html|title=Elections to Bangalore Mahanagara Palike – 2001 Page – 1, Date of Election 11-11-2001, List of Elected Candidates|website=State Election Commission, Karnataka|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081010043440/http://karsec.gov.in/Urban/38.html|archive-date=10 October 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://karsec.gov.in/Urban/ELECTIONS%20TO%20BANGALORE%20MAHANAGARA%20PALIKE%20-38-part2.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080506114135/http://karsec.gov.in/Urban/ELECTIONS%20TO%20BANGALORE%20MAHANAGARA%20PALIKE%20-38-part2.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-05-06|title=Elections to Bangalore Mahanagara Palike – 2001 Page – 2, Date of Election 11-11-2001, List of Elected Candidates|website=State Election Commission, Karnataka}}</ref> ! Seats won (2010) ! Seats won (2015) |- |1 |Bharatiya Janata Party |15 |{{won|111}} |{{won|100}} |- |2 |Indian National Congress |{{won|57}} |65 |76 |- |3 |Janata Dal (Secular) |13 |15 |14 |- |4 |Others |15 |7 |8 |- | | '''Total''' |'''100''' |'''198''' | '''198''' |}

== Structure ==

A mayor and deputy mayor of the council are also elected for a period of 30 months, though not by popular vote. The post of the mayor and deputy mayor are filled through a quota system to a Scheduled Castes and Tribes candidate or to an Other Backward Class female candidate from among the elected Councillors. [http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/nov302004/i2.asp] However, in the absence of an elected body, the BBMP is at present run by an Administrator and a Commissioner, who is appointed by the State Government. The Additional Commissioner is a specially appointed IRS officer. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is responsible for the civic and infrastructural requirements of the city. It often works in conjunction with other civic bodies such as the Agenda for Bangalore Infrastructure Development Task Force (ABIDE) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to design and implement civic and infrastructural projects.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

== Zones ==

BBMP is divided into 8 zones, for the ease of administration each administered by a Zonal Commissioner:{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

# Yelahaṅka Zone # Dasarahal̥l̥i Zone # Rājarājēśvarinagara Zone # Bommanahal̥l̥i Zone # South Zone # West Zone # East Zone # Mahādēvapura Zone

As per the BS Patil-headed BBMP Restructuring Committee, BBMP is poised to be restructured into five smaller palikes functioning under the Greater Bengaluru Authority. The present Gandhinagar zone will be designated as the Central BMP; Dasarahalli, RR Nagar, and Vijaynagar zones as West BMP; Yelahanka and Malleshwaram zones as North BMP; Sarvagnanagar and Mahadevapura as East BMP; and Jayanagar and Bommanahalli zones as South BMP. Each zone will have a Joint Commissioner who is answerable to the BBMP Commissioner.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

The decentralization process has not been very effective in addressing administrative problems. By the end of 2013, discussions were underway in various circles about dividing BBMP into more parts. Therefore, once the President's approval for the BBMP Restructuring is granted, BBMP will be split into five municipal corporations, each with 80 wards, totaling 400 wards. The current BBMP headquarters at NR Square will become the headquarters for the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), which will oversee the five Mahanagara Palikes.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

The GBA will have a Metropolitan Commissioner (IAS rank – higher administrative grade) and a directly elected Metropolitan Mayor (similar to London) with a five-year term. Each palike will also have a Mayor elected for a five-year term. According to the Urban Development Department, Yelahanka and Malleshwaram zones will form the North Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike; Gandhinagara zone will become the Central Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike; Dasarahalli, Rajarajeshwari Nagar, and Vijayanagara will form the West Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike; Jayanagar and Bommanahalli will constitute the South Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike; and Sarvagnanagara and Mahadevapura will form the East Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

This move is expected to lead to better civic management, increased power and accountability, greater accessibility for citizens, resolution of logistical issues, and higher tax compliance.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

== Income and expenditure ==

The BBMP raises more than half if its annual income from the collection of property tax, a third from State government grants and the remainder received in Central government grants, direct service fees, licences (advertising hoardings) and rent from municipal owned property.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Viswanathan |first=Renuka |date=20 April 2021 |title=BBMP is dead; Long live BBMP |url=https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/bbmp-budget-2021-59443 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626064341/https://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/bbmp-budget-2021-59443 |archive-date=26 June 2022 |access-date=18 July 2022 |website=Citizen Matters}}</ref>

== Role of the BBMP ==

=== Property tax collection === A shift to a unit area self assessment method of property tax collection in Bangalore was successful, leading to a sharp rise in tax collection revenues.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bandyopadhyay|first=Simanti|date=30 September 2013|title=Property Taxation in Indian Cities: A Comparison of Delhi and Bangalore|url=http://icrier.org/Urbanisation/events/Simanti_Sept_30_2013.pdf|publisher=Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations}}</ref> Phase one of the reforms starting in 2000 led to a 33 per cent increase in tax revenues, whilst a second phase initiated in 2007 led to a 74 per cent increase the following year.

=== Roads and infrastructure === Bangalore contains approximately 1,920 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads. Roads are badly constructed, full of potholes and frequently dug up and re-laid. The Deccan Herald describes an "unholy nexus of corporators and contractors [...] benefiting from the lucrative business of filling potholes, relaying and asphalting roads annually".<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 September 2017 |title=Killer potholes proof of BBMP corruption |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/content/633781/killer-potholes-proof-bbmp-corruption.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924135648/https://www.deccanherald.com/content/633781/killer-potholes-proof-bbmp-corruption.html |archive-date=2017-09-24 |work=Deccan Herald}}</ref>

The BBMP came under criticism in 2005 from Information Technology companies for failing to effectively address the crumbling road and traffic infrastructure of the city.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

In July 2005, the Karnataka High Court castigated the BBMP for failing to maintain roads in good condition.{{Citation needed|date=April 2026}}

The BBMP's contracting system for the city's roads are reported to operate under a corrupt commission system.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/tendersure-bbmp-contractors-feeder-filler-boxes-cables/articleshow/45062828.cms?|title=Tendersure battles begin as graft loopholes begin to close|last=S|first=Kushala|date=7 November 2014|work=Bangalore Mirror}}</ref> When work is tendered and the bid won by a contractor, a percentage (perhaps up to 20%) is paid to the area corporator, MLA and BBMP council.

In 2015, artist Nanjundaswamy installed a life-size crocodile as a form of protest against 'killer' potholes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bangalore-artist-crocodile-swim-giant-pothole-258468-2015-06-19|title=Bangalore artist makes crocodile swim in giant pothole|last=Pandya|first=Nihar|date=19 June 2015|work=India Today|access-date=23 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/seeing-is-believing-when-a-crocodile-popped-up-from-bengaluru-pothole/story-K2a67702xvAaWi7Hyv7dsM.html|title=Seeing is believing? When a crocodile popped up from Bengaluru pothole|last=Radhakrishnan|first=Vignesh|date=20 June 2015|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> This was followed a month later with the installation of a giant anaconda.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/2015/08/11/anaconda-bangalore_n_7969322.html|title=Giant, Fake Anaconda in Muddy Pothole Greets Bengaluru Commuters|last=Bose|first=Adrija|date=11 August 2015|work=Huff Post}}</ref>

==== TenderSURE ==== alt=workers paving church street|thumb|The redevelopment of Church Street under TenderSURE. This is the first road to be paved with granite cobblestones in Bangalore.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/church-street-being-covered-with-cobblestones-may-be-ready-by-dec/articleshow/60851090.cms|title=Church Street being covered with cobblestones, may be ready by December|last=Raji|first=Arpita|date=27 September 2017|work=The Times of India}}</ref>|315x315px In 2011, the Jana Urban Space Foundation published a document called TenderSURE (Specification for Urban Roads Execution)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.janausp.org/tendersure.php|title=TENDER S.U.R.E|website=Jana Urban Space Foundation}}</ref> which contained detailed guidelines for the design, specifications and procurement contracts needed to bring India's road infrastructure up to an international standard within the Indian context. The purpose of these guidelines was to enable the construction of urban roads that were designed for all road users (cars, buses, autos, bikes, pedestrians, street carts), that integrated all existing networked services (water, sewerage, power, OFC, gas and drainage) with provision for the future, and that would integrate the civic agencies to prevent roads being repeatedly re-dug and relaid. The ultimate objective was to give roads a lifespan of 10 years, instead of the existing one or two.

In 2012, the Government of Karnataka made budget allocations for 20 pilot roads to be implemented by the BBMP.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/all-about-tendersure-bangalore-7206|title=What's this Tender SURE all about?|last=Joseph|first=Josephine|date=16 March 2015|work=Citizen Matters}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://bbmp.gov.in/tendersure-roads|title=BBMP Tendersure Roads|website=Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike}}</ref> The first of these roads, including St Marks and Museum Road, where completed in June 2015. Another 50 roads were sanctioned by the Government in the same year.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/New-TenderSure-roads-still-on-paper/articleshow/55464250.cms|title=New Tender Sure roads still on paper|date=17 November 2016|work=The Times of India}}</ref> In 2017, St Marks Road became a case study for the Global Designing Cities Initiative's Global Urban Streets Guide,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globaldesigningcities.org/publication/global-street-design-guide/streets/neighborhood-streets/neighborhood-main-streets/case-study-st-marks-rd-bangalore-india/|title=Case Study: St. Marks Rd.; Bangalore, India|website=Global Designing Cities Initiative}}</ref> making it the only model street selected from India.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/global-cities-will-now-emulate-blurus-tendersure-roads/articleshow/59259669.cms|title=Global cities will now emulate Bengaluru's TenderSure roads|last=Rayi|first=Aparajita|date=22 June 2017|work=The Times of India}}</ref>

=== Stormwater drains === The BBMP reports that it administers 741 kilometres of storm water drains and another 1,500 km of secondary drains.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/YYcre6DZBtdWJI77wabPzM/Bengaluru-demolition-drive-A-lesson-for-how-to-govern-land.html|title=Bengaluru demolition drive: A lesson for how to govern land in India|last=Chandran|first=Rahul|date=13 August 2016|work=Live Mint}}</ref> A large percentage of the Rs 600 crores allocated to the BBMP under the JnNURM scheme for repairs and upgrades of the city's storm water drains is reported to have been siphoned off, leading to a reduction in such funding from the central government.<ref name=":0" /> === Garbage disposal === thumb|243x243px|Rubbish is routinely dumped on the street in Bangalore. Bangalore's waste volumes have grown strongly since 1990 and the BBMP has come under ongoing criticism for its mismanagement of the city's garbage disposal system,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bengaluru.citizenmatters.in/garbage-menace-all-over-bangalore-disgusting-what-happened-to-sundara-bengaluru-campaign-7546|title=Is BBMP's apathy responsible for Bengaluru's garbage crisis?|author=Anuradha|date=12 September 2015|work=Citizen Matters}}</ref> particularly throughout 2012–13<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.firstpost.com/politics/bangalores-garbage-plan-where-incompetence-meets-bad-faith-470394.html|title=Bangalore's garbage plan: Where incompetence meets bad faith|last=Chaudhry|first=Lakshmi|date=27 September 2012|work=First Post}}</ref> when Bangalore was routinely referred to as "Garbage City".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/bengaluru-how-india-s-garden-city-became-garbage-city/story-wkY96bgDnWx6gCWphczRMM.html|title=Bengaluru: How India's 'Garden City' became garbage city|last=AFP|date=27 January 2017|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Following the closure of Bangalore's two landfill sites in mid-2012 by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, the BBMP was left without any plan or alternative strategy for disposing of city's 3-4000 tons of daily waste.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.livemint.com/Politics/pfUFqPUHBQVk3jLjgzjCSM/Bangalores-mounting-garbage-crisis.html|title=Garbage disposal: Finding a way out of the mess|last=Yousaf|first=Shamsheer|date=19 November 2012|work=Live Mint}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/in-bangalore-crisis-in-waste-management-forces-change/article5016622.ece|title=In Bangalore, crisis in waste management forces change|last=Anantharam|first=Manisha|date=13 August 2013|work=The Hindu}}</ref> Garbage worker strikes<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/06/confessions-of-a-trash-tourist-india/373118/|title=Garbage Everywhere|last=Sachs|first=Noah|date=20 June 2014|work=The Atlantic}}</ref> and High Court rulings requiring the implementation of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules 2001 exacerbated the crisis whilst garbage accumulated on every street. The crisis abated somewhat from 2014.

A 2017 enquiry found no serious scrutiny of waste contractors, with the BBMP reimbursing contractors for around 200 crore in fake bills.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/elections-in-the-city-where-garbage-trucks-run-on-two-wheels/story-c9B5dxTKAxuAFvR9BmaLVL.html|title=Elections in the city where garbage trucks run on two wheels|last=Mondal|first=Sudipto|date=25 January 2017|work=Hindustan Times}}</ref>

As of 2018, seven waste processing plants are reported to be operating at only one third of their capacity.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/160118/segregation-hurdles-leave-bengaluru-down-in-dumps.html|title=Segregation hurdles leave Bengaluru down in dumps|last=Karthik|first=Aknisree|date=16 January 2018|work=Deccan Chronicle}}</ref>

In April 2025, BBMP implemented a "garbage cess" under which the residents of Bengaluru had to pay a solid waste management user fee.<ref>{{Cite web |title="Garbage Cess": Bengaluru Residents To Pay New Trash Tax From Today |url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/bengaluru-residents-faces-garbage-cess-bjp-criticizes-congress-government-8060701 |url-status=live |website=New Delhi Television}}</ref>

=== Public open space ===

Bangalore contains more than 416 neighbourhood parks. Current Karnataka legislation requires 15% of residential layouts to be retained for public open space, and an additional 10% for civic amenities. However, within the area of the BBMP one study estimated that only 8.4% of the urban area is parkland whilst the 2003 Bangalore Master Plan allocated only 2.01 sq m of green space per citizen, 6.99 sq m less than the minimum recommendation of the World Health Organisation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://citizenmatters.in/how-green-is-my-city-1604|title=How green is my city?|last=P K|first=Navya|date=17 November 2016|website=Citizen Matters}}</ref> By way of comparison, the 'Urban Green Guidelines, 2014' issued by the Government of India calculates the average green space for cities worldwide at 18.6% and Bangalore's area of green space at less than 5%.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/file/urban%20green%20guidelines%202014.pdf|title=Urban Greening Guidelines, 2014|website=Town and Country Planning Organisation|publisher=Government of India|date=February 2014|pages=8–10}}</ref> Bangalore compares unfavourably with New Delhi, which has retained 20% of its urban area as public open space. It also demonstrates a significant deterioration since the 1960, when open space represented 17.2% of the total area.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Open space in delhi: trends and correlates|last=Gandhi|first=Nadhi|work=INFLIBNET |publisher=University of Delhi|year=2013|pages=43|hdl = 10603/27659}}</ref>

=== Tree planting === [[File:Delonix regia - Gulmohar gate.jpg|alt=shady gulmohar tree overhanging path in lalbagh garden|thumb|333x333px|A Gulmohar tree in Lalbagh Garden, Bangalore. Widely planted in the 1980s these trees are no longer used in the BBMP's tree planting schemes.]] The BBMP's responsibilities include planting and maintaining street trees. The BBMP has embarked upon numerous tree planting schemes over many decades and with varying levels of success. The most notable period of planting is held to be the period of 1982 and 1987 when Chief Minister R Gundu Rao appointed forest officer S G Neginahal to green the streets of Bangalore with more than 15 lakh trees.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Trees-to-be-axed-for-steel-bridge-were-planted-in-1980s/articleshow/54636507.cms|title=Trees to be axed for steel bridge were planted in 1980s|last=Rohith|first=B R|date=21 October 2016|work=The Times of India|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/No-more-Gulmohars-says-BBMP/articleshow/35081677.cms|title=No more Gulmohars, says BBMP|last=Mukherjee|first=Saswati|date=14 May 2014|work=The Times of India|access-date=6 April 2018|quote=Although large-scale urban horticultural plantations were carried out in the early 20th century, most of the trees seen on our streets today date back to the early 1980s when an extensive tree plantation drive was conducted.}}</ref> His systematic plantation program involved the establishment of new nurseries, the installation of tree guards, a five-year monitoring program and the replacement of any failed plantings.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bengaluru/Man-of-the-forests-who-made-Bangalore-green/articleshow/30536482.cms|title=Man of the forests who made Bangalore green|last=Rohith|first=BR|date=17 February 2014|work=The Time of India|access-date=6 April 2018}}</ref> The reported success rate was 97%<ref name=":2" /> and most of the mature trees along Bangalore's major avenues date to this era.

More recently the BBMP has reported that between 2007 and 2013 more than 10 lakh trees have been planted with a survival rate of 64.5%.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/Citizens-volunteer-to-count-trees-debunk-BBMPs-growth-story/articleshow/34985182.cms?|title=Citizens volunteer to count trees, debunk BBMP's growth story|last=Kaggere|first=Niranjan|date=12 May 2004|work=Bangalore Mirror|access-date=5 April 2018}}</ref> These numbers have been contested by civic agencies and citizen groups as inaccurate. The Bangalore-based Environmental Support Group did a ground survey to calculate a survival rate of 20 – 25%, assuming the trees were even planted at all<ref name=":2" /> whilst urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth estimates a survival rate of 10%.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-karnataka/contractors-lack-experience-to-plant-saplings-says-bbmp/article18518029.ece|title=Contractors lack experience to plant saplings, says BBMP|last=Ramani|first=Chitra|date=21 May 2017|work=The Hindu}}</ref> The BBMP places responsibility for this with the lack experience of their contractors. Contractors in turn blame the BBMP for failure to release funds and allocating sapling locations in places with no water or suitable growing conditions.

In 2017 the High Court of Karnataka directed the BBMP to plant an additional 10 lakh street trees and to form greening committees comprising activists and experts, and tree wardens.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/bbmp-to-plant-10-lakh-saplings-and-hope-for-the-best/article19119758.ece|title=BBMP to plant 10 lakh saplings, and hope for the best|date=21 June 2017|work=The Hindu}}</ref> To comply with this directive the BBMP launched an app called 'BBMP Green'<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.whitesuntech.bbmpsaplings&hl=en|title=BBMP Green|date=28 July 2017|website=Google Play}}</ref> allowing residents to collect free saplings and plant them on their own streets.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/bengaluru-green-city-bbmp-app-free-saplings-978391-2017-05-21|title=BBMP plans to make Bengaluru green again, launches app to give free saplings to citizens|last=Pinto|first=Nolan|date=21 May 2017|work=India Today}}</ref> Activists criticised the program for essentially absolving the BBMP of the responsibility to maintain street trees within the city.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://newsable.asianetnews.com/karnataka/this-is-why-bbmps-green-app-gives-us-no-hope|title=This is why BBMP's 'Green app' gives us no hope|last=Yacoob|first=Mohammed|date=22 May 2017|work=Asianet Newsable}}</ref>

The BBMP's tree planting activities contrast unfavourably with the Forestry Department who plants half the number of trees per year at a lower cost and a reportedly 95% survival rate.<ref name=":3" />

None of the BBMP's replanting schemes have compensated for the ongoing removal of existing trees within the city, both from private property and the destruction of previously planted street trees for street widening purposes. A 2010 study found the density of trees in Bangalore to be lower than many other Asian cities<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nagendra|first=Harini|date=December 2010|title=Street trees in Bangalore: Density, diversity, composition and distribution|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/223411963|journal=Urban Forestry & Urban Greening|volume=9|issue=2|pages=129–137|doi=10.1016/j.ufug.2009.12.005|via=ResearchGate}}</ref> with an estimated 50,000 trees lost between the date of publication and 2016.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/811581/the-dying-of-gulmohars-heralds-bangalores-demise-and-is-a-sign-of-urban-indias-forbidding-future|title=The dying of gulmohars heralds Bangalore's demise – and is a sign of urban India's forbidding future|last=Halarnkar|first=Samar|date=14 July 2016|work=Scroll.in}}</ref> == See also == * Karnataka * Kempegowda Award * Municipal corporation

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category|Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike}} *[https://bbmp.gov.in/ Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike] *[http://www.newskarnataka.com/bangalore/BBMP-trifurcation-What-will-it-mean-for-citizens-Will-it-work/ BBMP trifurcation: What will it mean for citizens? Will it work?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180707201838/https://www.newskarnataka.com/bangalore/BBMP-trifurcation-What-will-it-mean-for-citizens-Will-it-work |date=7 July 2018 }} *[https://bangalorenewstoday.com/local-news/bbmp-schools-and-colleges-see-record-rise-in-admissions/ BBMP schools and colleges see record rise in admissions] *[https://bangalorenewstoday.com/https://kushiservices.com/home-deep-cleanings/ Deep cleaning services in bangalore]

Category:Municipal corporations in Karnataka Category:1862 establishments in India Category:Government of Bengaluru Category:Bengaluru Urban district