Bengaluru Switches to Greater Bengaluru Authority to Tackle Long-Standing Infrastructure Shortfalls

Bengaluru now operates under the Greater Bengaluru Authority after the formal dissolution of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike in September 2025, a change aimed at improving oversight of roads, water, power and waste systems across the 712 square kilometre area.

The shift comes after decades of expansion that turned a former cantonment town into a metropolis of more than 14 million people, largely through information technology and biotechnology growth. Built-up land rose from roughly 8 per cent of the city area in 1973 to 87.6 per cent by 2025, cutting into green spaces and water bodies that once helped manage runoff and heat.

Why the old structure fell short

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike, created in 2007 by combining the former Bangalore Mahanagara Palike with seven municipal councils, covered 243 wards and served more than 12 million residents at its peak. By the mid-2010s it was clear the single body could not deliver services at that scale, and no elections had taken place since 2020, leaving appointed administrators in charge for five years.

Proposals for a three-tier model surfaced in 2015 but stayed on hold until the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act of 2024 took effect in April 2025. The Greater Bengaluru Authority replaced the old municipal body on 15 May 2025 and completed the handover when the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike was dissolved on 2 September 2025.

What the new arrangement looks like

The authority sits at the top, chaired by the Chief Minister, and oversees five city corporations named Central, North, South, East and West. Each corporation elects a mayor and deputy mayor for 30-month terms, and the city has been split into 369 wards, up from 243, with elections due in mid-2026. Ten administrative zones now handle day-to-day work.

The authority also coordinates the Bangalore Development Authority, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, BESCOM, Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation and Namma Metro, while the Bangalore Development Authority keeps responsibility for the remaining 582 square kilometres outside the core area.

Residents can expect clearer lines of responsibility for cross-boundary projects once the new corporations begin functioning after the 2026 polls. Checking ward committee meeting schedules through the Greater Bengaluru Authority website will be the first practical step for anyone wanting to follow local infrastructure decisions.