Karnataka government to take ₹2,000 crore World Bank loan for development of Bengaluru’s rajakaluves

Another ₹1,000 crore would be given to the BWSSB for building underground drainage, taking the total loan amount to ₹3,000 crore

The Karnataka government is set to take a loan of ₹3,000 crore from the World Bank for the development of Bengaluru’s rajakaluves (main stormwater drains) as well as underground drainage.

One-time solution

Disclosing this while making a statement on Friday (December 13, 2024) in the Legislative Assembly on the damage due to rains this year, Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda said the government had decided to take up remodelling and development of rajakaluves in Bengaluru as a one-time-solution to handle flooding with the help of a World Bank loan. Ten rounds of meetings had already been held with World Bank representatives in this regard.

“While ₹2,000 crore would be given to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) for development of rajakaluves, ₹1,000 crore would be given to the BWSSB for building underground drainage,” Mr. Krishna Byre Gowda said.

He pointed out that sewage is currently being let into rajakaluves in some areas due to an inadequate underground drainage network. Therefore, the government has decided to focus on building underground drainage systems alongside the rajakaluves.

He said the development of rajakaluves was being undertaken mainly to prevent flooding of areas and roads during the rainy season.

On 350 km of rajakaluve

Bengaluru city has a total of 856 km of rajakaluves and 200 km of tertiary drains. There was a dire need to widen and remodel them to prevent flooding, he said. While the earlier government led by Siddaramaiah had completed the remodelling of 575 km of drains from 2013 to 2018, the subsequent governments had worked on only 100 km of drains till 2023, he said.

The government wanted to complete the development of the remaining 350 km stretch of rajakaluves within a year with the help of a World Bank loan, the Minister said. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar had already held a meeting in this regard with officials concerned and issued strict directions to them, he noted.

In rest of state too

The Revenue Minister said that ₹2,000 crore would be given by the Karnataka government towards taking up similar one-time permanent rain-proofing works in different areas of the State that require attention.

Published - December 13, 2024 06:09 pm IST