Bengaluru, 5 October

Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday said an integrated 10-15 year development plan was being prepared for areas under the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority (BMRDA), focusing on connectivity, housing, water supply and industrial development.

Addressing a meeting of the advisory committee on the economic development of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Region (BMR), he said the plan would support Karnataka’s target of taking its economy to USD 400-420 billion by 2037 and USD 1 trillion by 2047.

Nine integrated industrial townships are proposed in the BMR. Of the 13,500 acres required, 7,900 acres have been acquired and acquisition of another 5,600 acres is under way, Shivakumar said.

The government also plans an AI City on the lines of Singapore’s Punggol and an AI university. It will identify suitable land for the university.

The entire Bengaluru urban district will be brought under the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) in phases, while all areas will be brought under urban local bodies, he said.

The meeting discussed a comprehensive transport plan, including an additional 312 km of Metro network and 72 km of suburban rail by 2037. Plans for a 210-km ring road connecting 10 hubs, linking Phase-II of the Peripheral Ring Road with NICE Road, and developing 270-km Regional Rapid Transit System corridors connecting Bengaluru with Tumakuru, Mysuru and KGF were also discussed.

The proposed Mumbai-Bengaluru high-speed rail corridor may be extended to Mysuru.

The BMR will need about 3,600 MLD of water by 2037. Shivakumar directed officials to plan for drinking and industrial needs, including wastewater reuse and lake filling.

A plan is also being prepared to build 6-6.5 lakh houses, including 40,000-50,000 units for industrial workers.