Twitter survey: Garbage overtakes traffic as the most pressing problems in Bengaluru

BENGALURU: Garbage is overtaking Bengaluru's notorious traffic as the city's biggest problem, an ongoing survey by the Bangalore Political Action Committee has pointed out.
The ' Most Pressing Problems in Bengaluru' survey on Twitter, which closes on June 22, has pointed out that 52% Bengalureans chose garbage over vehicular traffic. Interestingly , while the government is keen to divide the “unwieldy" BBMP, 42% of the respondents in the B.PAC survey have said they are not sure if it would help the city.

The survey being conducted on Twitter hopes to supplement a larger study that will capture the pulse of the city ahead of the civic elections due by the end of July.

“The larger study we have conducted has a sample size of 10,000. The results are being analysed and it will be ready in a week's time. The study interviewed people in the city to assess their perception of the BBMP and its perfor mance," B.PAC chief executive Revathy Ashok said.

Close on the heels of Whitefield Rising launching a campaign to ensure more people vote in the BBMP elections, B.PAC believes this study will create awareness on the importance of voting.“Politicians laugh at the middle class because they know it won't vote. And it is those living in apartments who complain the most. All it takes for a candidate to win a ward is just 6,00,07,000 votes," Ashok said.

The low voter turnout was evident when BBMP went to polls in 2010.Sample this: Former leader of the BJP-ruled BBMP council NR Ramesh won the Yediyur ward with 7,355 votes, whereas the ward saw only 13,387 people casting votes out of 29,514 voters.

Former leader of the opposition Congress in the BBMP council, BN Manjunatha Reddy , won in Madivala with 7,176 votes. Only 13,488 people voted out of 33,206.

“The idea is to create awareness on all issues concerning Bengaluru. We are in constant touch with stakeholders, including the present administration of the BBMP ," B.PAC member Harish Narasappa said.