With Bengaluru finding it difficult to shake off its ‘garbage city’ tag and also plagued by other pressing civic issues such as potholes, traffic congestion and vulnerability to flooding during rains, the new Mayor, Gangambika Mallikarjun, has an uphill task ahead. Known for her pro-active ways, Gangambika, who is also a corporator from Jayanagar ward, spoke to Deccan Chronicle about her plans to tackle the long-pending issues affecting the city.
Is being a woman an uphill task to handle the post of Mayor in a cosmopolitan city?
It is not the question of being a woman or a man, all that matters are how well you manage the work and get the developmental projects and other works rolling. I believe that women can handle things more efficiently due to their immense patience. So I am here to ensure that the city gets what it needs. I also know for the fact that the tenure for Mayor is just one year, so I will put in all my efforts to ensure that pertaining issues are resolved.
As you are aware the city is facing numerous civic issues. How do you plan to resolve them?
Garbage is the main issue plaguing the city. It is a menace in all the 198 wards and it is high time we combat the issue and put a full stop to it. We need effective garbage collection and segregation, which is not happening. The Deputy Chief Minister will soon be conducting a meeting and new tenders will be floated with new conditions. The contractors will have to follow stricter rules, which are being framed. They should digest the fact that things will not be the same and they will have to buckle up, failing which appropriate action will be initiated. The other major issue is potholes. The work is going on and we are also planning to make sure that the potholes are fixed in such a way that it lasts a long time. The street light issue is also being looked into and there are various works being planned. I have just taken charge and soon will make announcements of plans which are being implemented for the betterment of the city. By the time my term ends, I will ensure that there will not be any garbage black spots in the city.
Why do potholes reappear as soon as it rains?
We should understand that the rain is not the sole reason for the potholes to reappear. The main cause is the leakage in water pipes. The BWSSB should wake up and fix the leakages. They should be held responsible for allowing the sanitary waste into the storm water drains, which are built for the free flow of rain water. But now the sewage is being let into it and they are polluting our water bodies. It is a complete mess and it will take time to set it right. Every civic department should work in coordination to bring back the old Bengaluru.
There were reports that BBMP may itself handle garbage collection and do away with contractors. Will this happen during your tenure?
The talks are taking place for the past few years and several well known civic experts were also consulted. They are of the opinion that BBMP can handle it better, when compared with contractors.
Your surprise inspections and penalties on contractors have garnered positive reviews. Will this continue?
I will ensure that the spot inspections are carried out regularly. Also directions have been issued for every official in all the zones to visit their jurisdiction once in a week and look into the problems and solve it. Every contractor will be held responsible for the shoddy work and they will be penalized and blacklisted. We will ensure that they will never again work with the BBMP. We need to wipe out the bad image which the BBMP has garnered.
There were numerous complaints that issues raised by citizens in BBMP’s apps and forums don’t lead to remedial action. Is it being looked into?People complain through Facebook, Twitter, Sahaya, call centre and mobile phone apps, we will have a dedicated team to look into them. This is the age of technology and we are also planning to make it more advanced. Every complaint will be monitored until it is resolved. Also, people can visit or call me and I will look into the issue. My doors are open for them anytime. The corporators should also engage with the public more often, so that the issues are brought to forefront.
