Bengaluru: The Deputy Chief Minister today chaired an over six hour long meeting with MLAs and Parliamentarians of Bengaluru, along with officers, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, to discuss and take suggestions on city issues.

Civic problems plaguing the city for years could soon be a thing of the past with the Karnataka government today saying it would make the metropolis plastic free and take steps on a 'war footing' to protect lakes from pollution. Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara said the government would take effective and strict measures to make Bengaluru free from plastic.

Parameshwara, who is Minister in-charge for Bengaluru city related subjects, also said work would be taken up on a "war footing" to protect city lakes from pollution and clear those that are already polluted.

"Legislators suggested a plastic ban to make Bengaluru plastic free. Efforts are on for it. All effective and strict measures will be taken to make city plastic free," he said. The Deputy Chief Minister today chaired an over six hour long meeting with MLAs and Parliamentarians of Bengaluru, along with officers, the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, to discuss and take suggestions on city issues.

He noted that most lakes in Bengaluru were getting polluted, a few have gone to "irreparable" stage and others were beginning to get polluted. "To see to that lakes in Bengaluru don't get polluted further and those that are polluted are cleared, we have decided to take up work on a war footing," he said. The meeting discussed garbage clearance, he said, adding, there was a proposal to convert waste to energy.