The ambitious plan by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to get Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding for the creation of lakes and the maintenance of municipal parks has not gained traction. Even with a full-time CSR manager earning Rs 1 lakh a month, the civic organisation has only been able to get sponsorships for only 10 of the city’s 1,280 parks.

The goal of the campaign was to get business entities to “adopt” public areas as a component of their corporate social responsibility pledges. According to GBA officials, a number of meetings and presentations were made to CSR leaders from large corporations in order to highlight the regions that needed financial assistance. However, few actually followed through, despite initial interest.

In order to raise money for parks and lakes, the CSR cell’s task is to contact businesses via emails, social media, and one-on-one meetings. We gave them thorough presentations outlining the ways in which we could collaborate with them. Even while the concept was well received, none of the big corporations have made any concrete promises, according to a senior GBA official.

To appeal to corporate social efforts, the civic authority also launched programmes like Namma Bengaluru Namma Koduge (My Bengaluru, My Contribution) and the Park Conservation Policy (CIPC-2024). These initiatives encouraged businesses to maintain and beautify parks, medians, and traffic intersections.

Officials claimed the response has been unsatisfactory, though. From little neighbourhood parks to huge green areas spanning several acres, Bengaluru boasts over 1,280 parks spread across five civic zones. Large parks can cost more than Rs 30 lakh per month to maintain, while medium-sized parks cost more than Rs 2 lakh. The official stated that the few donations received were voluntary and unrelated to GBA’s outreach efforts, saying, “It’s unfortunate that only ten parks have been adopted so far for a city like Bengaluru, known globally for its corporate presence.”

According to officials, there hasn’t been any substantial financial support for park or lake development, despite some businesses donating benches and trash cans. “Healthcare, education, and traffic control are among the causes that corporations are actively supporting. However, it appears that parks and lakes are not a top priority,” the source continued.

The CSR consultant hired by GBA has now left due to the lack of development and a consistent corporate response. The official declared, “We have made the decision to no longer seek CSR funding.” Corporate interest in civic infrastructure continues to be poor, according to Special Commissioner Preethi Gehlot.

Businesses would be relieved of a substantial financial burden if they adopted even a few parks. “CSR funds can support other developmental activities, but they cannot be used for core works due to an ongoing case in the High Court regarding lake development,” she stated.

In order to guarantee that the city’s green spaces are preserved without only depending on CSR financing, officials stated that they are now investigating alternate funding and collaboration methods.