K’taka reserves future road corridors around Bengaluru

Karnataka is reserving land for hundreds of future roads around Bengaluru before homes, apartments and layouts fill up the same space, in an attempt to avoid a problem that the city is already struggling with: roads that cannot be widened because there is no land left. The roads will not be built immediately. Some could take five, eight or even 10 years to materialise. The aim is to keep the identified corridors free of new construction so they remain available when the surrounding areas become more urbanised.

Bengaluru urban development minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Tuesday that new comprehensive development plans had been notified across Bengaluru Urban district outside Greater Bengaluru Authority, identifying road corridors with proposed widths of 30 metres, 45 metres and 90 metres.

“Some may come up after five years, eight years or even 10 years. What we are doing now is reserving the road corridors so that buildings, apartments and layouts do not come up on land that will be needed for roads in the future,” Gowda said.

The government says the lesson comes from Bengaluru’s earlier expansion. About two decades ago, 110 villages and seven City Municipal Councils were brought into the city, but the infrastructure needed to support that growth was not planned adequately, Gowda said. As those areas developed, roads became difficult or impossible to widen because surrounding land had already been built upon.

“When 110 villages and seven CMCs were brought into Bengaluru around two decades ago, adequate basic infrastructure was not planned. Today, in several already developed areas, we cannot even create or widen roads because there is no space,” he said. The new reservation exercise is intended to ensure that the same situation does not develop in the areas now urbanising outside the GBA.

The Bengaluru Metropolitan Region Development Authority and local planning and development authorities are working on the road grid. The BMRDA, Zilla Panchayat and Public Works Department have been asked to physically mark the corridors and identify stretches that should be developed first.

Gowda said the city itself covers about 750 sq km, while nearly 1,200 sq km around it has already acquired an urban character. Citing expert reports, he said this could increase to about 1,400 sq km and eventually 1,800 sq km.

“We have to plan infrastructure before construction comes up everywhere,” he said.

The proposed road network is meant to connect taluk and hobli headquarters, major district roads and state highways with larger transport routes, including Peripheral Ring Road and Satellite Town Ring Road. The network could eventually extend to thousands of kilometres and would be developed in phases.

The government says most of newly identified corridors pass through areas still open. Satellite imagery was used to identify alignments while trying to avoid existing settlements. “Around 90 to 95% of the newly marked stretches are through greenfield or open areas,” he said.

For landowners, the reservation does not amount to an immediate acquisition. Agricultural activity and sale of land can continue, but new construction will not be permitted inside the notified road corridors.

Properties that already have approvals will retain their rights.