Burning of waste dumped in the open, liquor bottles strewn around, unkempt washrooms, and electric wires lying dangerously out in the open have all unfortunately become synonymous with the Corporation-run park at Ramalingam Nagar (Ward 44), say its residents.
The park, which was one of the first in the city to be built with modern facilities such as a fountain in the centre, modern toilets, shaded seating areas, and aesthetic planting of flowers and grass, also had an in-house compost pit with a waste shredder to handle the garden’s waste, such as dry leaves, twigs, and dust.
However, this was over a year ago. Since then, its condition has deteriorated significantly.
“It was built as a state-of-the-art facility for residents of this locality, and we have all supported the Corporation for many years for its upkeep. But its current state is that of neglect,” stated Vijayaraghavan, head of the Ramalingam Residents Welfare Association.
Neither is the compost pit being utilised today, nor is the washroom in a usable condition. Moreover, the old trees of the park, which the residents had requested to be pruned, were ultimately cut in a haphazard manner overnight, and the branches were left atop the shade over benches, making it a hazard for walkers.
In addition, the children’s park next to it has also been facing issues with sanitation workers using the premises to sort waste and later sell valuable items to a recycler. “This should not be done, but despite several warnings, the practice continues. Further, we recently upgraded all the play equipment in the ward. The park has also been kept closed during the night after we received complaints of anti-social elements entering the premises,” said Ward councillor R. Gayathri (INC).
While the maintenance remains poor, the ward is one of the areas where all 12 reserve sites have been developed into parks as they were intended. The issue of maintenance, however, stems from the poor allocation of funds by the Corporation towards this.
While each park in the ward requires ₹20-25 lakh annually for maintenance, the current contractor spends only about ₹6-7 lakh. Along with budget cuts, a lesser number of workers have been allotted for park maintenance in the ward. “There are only two workers for 12 parks, which is insufficient,” the councillor said.
Another issue persists in the form of tall trees planted unscientifically in the parks. Once they grow tall, their roots tend to damage compound walls and walkways, causing cracks that can harm residents.
“As a solution to this, we have submitted bills seeking more allowance for the maintenance of parks. Within a month’s time, we hope to resolve the issue,” the councillor added.
