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| Bengaluru rues rapid growth as India's IT hub | Bengaluru rues rapid growth as India's IT hub |
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| Bengaluru was a lovely city until the IT crowd ruined it, so goes the joke. | Bengaluru was a lovely city until the IT crowd ruined it, so goes the joke. |
| "The reason the IT sector came to the city was its reputation as a great city to live in," a resident told me on a recent visit. "Of course, technology created jobs, but the city has grown so fast and become too crowded." | "The reason the IT sector came to the city was its reputation as a great city to live in," a resident told me on a recent visit. "Of course, technology created jobs, but the city has grown so fast and become too crowded." |
| With an estimated population of 8.5 million in 2011, Bengaluru is India's third most populous city. It was the fastest-growing Indian metropolis after Delhi between 1991 and 2001, with a growth rate of 38% during the decade. | With an estimated population of 8.5 million in 2011, Bengaluru is India's third most populous city. It was the fastest-growing Indian metropolis after Delhi between 1991 and 2001, with a growth rate of 38% during the decade. |
| Bengaluru, known as the garden city for its public parks, is still growing. Luxury towers in mid-construction are sprouting, with billboards advertising helipads for aspirational – and wealthy – tenants. The traffic is hellish as three-wheeler auto-taxis, cars and buses compete for space amid a cacophony of klaxons. | Bengaluru, known as the garden city for its public parks, is still growing. Luxury towers in mid-construction are sprouting, with billboards advertising helipads for aspirational – and wealthy – tenants. The traffic is hellish as three-wheeler auto-taxis, cars and buses compete for space amid a cacophony of klaxons. |
| In its global monitoring report on the millennium development goals, the World Bank cites Bengaluru as an example of a city struggling to cope with rapid growth on the back of a vibrant IT industry. Companies such as Infosys, the country's second largest IT firm, have their headquarters in India's silicon valley. | |
| In 1998, Bengaluru's incomes were 24% higher than the national average. By 2005, they were nearly 70% higher as the city built on its tradition of compulsory education dating back to the days of the maharajas who once ruled the princely state of Mysore. | In 1998, Bengaluru's incomes were 24% higher than the national average. By 2005, they were nearly 70% higher as the city built on its tradition of compulsory education dating back to the days of the maharajas who once ruled the princely state of Mysore. |
| The University of Mysore and Bengaluru's engineering college provided the initial cluster of skilled engineers that proved a magnet for firms, creating a virtuous circle – until now. The less positive side of growth has been the proliferation of slums, with at least 850 "unofficial settlements", most of them with no access to water or sanitation. | The University of Mysore and Bengaluru's engineering college provided the initial cluster of skilled engineers that proved a magnet for firms, creating a virtuous circle – until now. The less positive side of growth has been the proliferation of slums, with at least 850 "unofficial settlements", most of them with no access to water or sanitation. |
| As the World Bank notes, the city's economic success is creating infrastructure problems, including poor water quality, traffic congestion and housing shortages. Water is a particular problem with 30% of city residents using polluted groundwater. The sewer system does not reach a large part of the city. Average commuting times exceed 40 minutes because jobs are dispersed from the city centre. | As the World Bank notes, the city's economic success is creating infrastructure problems, including poor water quality, traffic congestion and housing shortages. Water is a particular problem with 30% of city residents using polluted groundwater. The sewer system does not reach a large part of the city. Average commuting times exceed 40 minutes because jobs are dispersed from the city centre. |
| "If the water problems or commuting times get worse, skilled people – the city's main asset – will leave for cities that offer better amenities," the bank warns. "How [it] improves the quality of life for its residents will have a considerable bearing on how brightly Bengaluru continues to shine." | "If the water problems or commuting times get worse, skilled people – the city's main asset – will leave for cities that offer better amenities," the bank warns. "How [it] improves the quality of life for its residents will have a considerable bearing on how brightly Bengaluru continues to shine." |