A panel of experts gathered at the India Today Environment Conclave 2025 to address Bengaluru’s escalating urban challenges. The group, consisting of key figures from architecture, water conservation, and transport, put forward an urgent strategy to tackle the city’s systemic issues.

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• Bengaluru’s urban crisis requires immediate transformative governance reforms, according to experts at the India Today Environment Conclave.
• Architect Naresh Narsimhan advocates for a Chief Commissioner overseeing all civic agencies, addressing fragmented governance.
• Narsimhan stresses the need for centralized coordination to overcome inefficiencies and improve urban planning.
• Professor Ashish Verma highlights the potential of a robust Metro Road Transport System (MRTS) to carry 80% of the city’s trips by 2041.
• MRTS could carry 40 times more passengers per investment compared to proposed tunnel roads, significantly improving urban mobility.
• Water conservationist S Vishwanath challenges the narrative of water scarcity in Bengaluru, claiming 5,000 million liters of water are available daily.
• Vishwanath calls for a comprehensive water management framework and integration of key water departments to improve efficiency.
• Revathy Ashok of BPAC stresses the importance of citizen activism in driving urban transformation and the need for better execution of plans.
• BPAC has led initiatives like the city-wide Climate Action Plan but faces challenges due to lack of jurisdictional power over municipal bodies.
• Ashok celebrates Karnataka’s achievement in generating 65% of its energy from renewable sources, one of the highest in India.