From Gridlock to Greenlungs

An inspired movement led by a visionary IAS officer, and driven by citizens and civic bodies, in Bengaluru, is spearheading battle against climate collapse through strengthening urban resilience

- ANIL SWARUP

In the heart of India's tech capital, where concrete towers compete with canopy gaps and traffic buzzes louder than birdsong, a quieter, more resolute movement has taken root.

Bengaluru is standing at a crossroads. More than just indicators of urban growth, its crowded roadways, overflowing landfills, and booming construction industry are reflecting symptoms of a deeper crisis. Rising urban temperatures, choking air from traffic, and methane leaks from garbage are not concerns for the future—they are being experienced in real time.

In response, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) introduced the Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), a comprehensive yet realistic blueprint with 266 ongoing recommendations spanning 7 sectors:

> Energy & buildings

> Transport

> Water, wastewater & stormwater

> Urban planning, greening & biodiversity

> Solid waste management

> Air quality

> Disaster management

To operationalise BCAP, the Climate Action Cell (CAC) was established in February 2024 under the guidance of Special Commissioner Preeti Gehlot. What makes her approach different? A belief that climate action must grow not from mandates, but from classrooms, citizens, and community-driven change. Her vision: to make climate governance less about top-down directives and more about civic imagination. From day one, she insisted on cross-sectoral collaboration and citizen involvement—an ethos that now defines every CAC initiative.

A City-Wide Movement