Surprising! Namma Bengaluru turning like Europe

In the next 10 months, namma Bengaluru could have its own version of

Cheonggyecheon Seoul, South Korea’s public recreation space, or Ahmedabad’s famed

Sabarmati riverfront, if things go according to Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s orders.

After months of baby steps, Yediyurappa laid the foundation stone for the K-100

Rajakaluve project on Thursday (March 26), which aims to restore Bengaluru’s

waterways and stormwater drains network, as well as turn the surrounding area into a

space that the public can enjoy.

During the ceremony, the CM ordered officials from the BBMP to complete the project

in ten months. The project involves the construction of European-style paths with

walking and cycling lanes, as well as small parks and recreational areas. Surprisingly,

the project, which was originally envisioned along the lines of the Cheonggyecheon

waterfront in Seoul, South Korea, is now being designed along the lines of

Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati riverfront landscape.

The state government approved Rs 169 crore for the Koramangala Valley Development

and Rejuvenation Project in the annual budget. The Citizens’ Waterway Project,

according to BBMP Commissioner N Manjunatha Prasad, aims to give a facelift to

historically significant stormwater drains from KR Market to Bellandur Lake via

Shantinagar, Hosur Road, & Koramangala.

The K-100 connected to Dharmambudhi Lake, which is now the Kempegowda Bus

Station, with Bellandur Lake, and is considered one of the most historically important

rajakaluves. The main drain is 11.4 kilometers long, with a total network length of

28.06 kilometers, including secondary drains. “Water canals will pass through

neighborhoods in Bengaluru, just as they do in Singapore,” an official said.

THE KOREAN CONNECTION:

By the 1940s, the Cheonggyecheon River in downtown Seoul had transformed into an

open sewer. The ‘drain’ was then concretized, and an elevated expressway was

constructed over it, degrading the river and life underneath it even more. In 2003, the

highway was demolished by the then-mayor, and the river channel was rejuvenated.

Twenty-nine months and investing $360 million later, the Cheonggyecheon has

transformed into a park and lively public space.