
Shivamogga-Bhadravathi Urban Development Authority (SBUDA) Chairperson H S Sundaresh has announced a comprehensive makeover for the twin cities. A Rs 45 crore project to develop 15 lakes is underway, with work orders…
Shivamogga-Bhadravathi Urban Development Authority (SBUDA) Chairperson H S Sundaresh has announced a comprehensive makeover for the twin cities. A Rs 45 crore project to develop 15 lakes is underway, with work orders already issued for five. Plans include lake bunds, footpaths, safety fencing, streetlights, parks, children's play equipment and an islet with stone benches. The lakes will be used for Ganesha idol immersion.

A 34-km ring road with a proposed width of 200 metres is planned. The authority will also develop 30 parks, 10 autorickshaw stands, and drill borewells in public areas. Flyovers with lifts will come up at four locations. Sites of 40×60 feet will be allotted to eligible autorickshaw drivers and media persons. Consultations with the Chief Minister have been held for a Women’s Polytechnic College in Vivekananda Layout.
SBUDA's plan targets the twin cities that form the administrative and industrial hub of Shivamogga district. The 15-lake project at Rs 3 crore per lake suggests a standardised beautification template often used by urban local bodies in Karnataka under the Amrut or Smart City missions. The 200-metre-wide ring road is ambitious for a city of this size and would require significant land acquisition. The Ganesha immersion provision addresses a recurring civic complaint during the festival season. The next milestone is the special programme in October at Esur village, which symbolically declared independence in 1942, offering the authority a deadline for visible progress.
The real test of these announcements will come when work orders are executed for the remaining 10 lakes and the ring road alignment is notified. Land acquisition costs and litigation typically slow such projects in tier-2 Karnataka cities.
Source: deccanherald.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.