Park Divide

Lt Col (retd) Harjinder Singh Sarao , a resident of Sector 18 who has been running from pillar to post to get the “non-influential” green belts in the sector spruced up, said, “I don’t know why this kind of divide. I have met all the officers but nothing happens. Where do elderly go for a walk when there is no proper management? Because of ill maintenance, these parks become a hub for bad elements who carry out all sort of illegal activities.”

Sources in the Municipal Corporation said a budget of Rs 10 crore is sanctioned to the horticulture wing every year for the upkeep and maintenance of parks. For December 2017, the department spent just Rs 2 crore of this allocated amount. Going by what is apparent, the money seems to have been spent on a few chosen parks, in select areas.

(Express Photo: Sahil Walia)

In Sector 7, the green belt opposite the house of UT Adviser Parimal Rai and other officers is a pleasure to see. On a visit last week, the CNL team saw a gardener tending to the plants.

On another side of Sector 7, another green belt welcomes residents, but here the grill in the middle is broken, there is no pathway, there is wild growth of weeds, and unlike in the other one, no gardener.

“One can even see gardeners working throughout the day just to keep the park opposite the officers’ homes in good condition. But here not even once a gardener has come. Aren’t the officials trying to create a divide between the bureaucracy and common man?” Vidhi Sharma, a resident of Sector 7, said.

The swings in the lesser of the two parks are rusted. One side of the seesaw is broken. “A child tried sitting on the seasaw and he got hurt. Moreover, stray dogs keep roaming here. How can the elderly go for a walk here?” added the resident. In Sector 8-A, in the vicinity of MP Kirron Kher’s house, the park has brightly painted swings, a beautified entry, pathway, greenery. Near house number 162 in the same sector, another park exposes the civic body’s ‘bias’. There is a shed with a broken rusted bench. It is obvious no gardener has visited the place in years; the trash has not been collected either.

Another park in bad condition in Sector 7-A ,Chandigarh. (Express Photo: Jaipal Singh)

“In the absence of lighting, these areas become breeding ground for nefarious activities. Parks have very little lighting and crooked paths — the little that is done for the upkeep gets stolen by druggies,” another resident, Vinod Kumar, pointed out.

“Too many stray dogs, dustbins not cleared on time, garbage dumps, trees are not pruned on time is what we have been complaining to the civic body every time but nobody hears,” he added. The chairman of Federation of Sectors Welfare Association of Chandigarh, Baljinder Singh Bittu, said that an inquiry should be conducted as to which are the green belts where the MC budget was spent the maximum. “They spend most of the money on the green belts which are just in front of the officers’ or political leaders’ house,” Bittu said.

Mohit Jhingan, 34, a resident of Sector 51-A, has been struggling for the last year and a half to get just basic facilities in the neighbourhood park right in front of his MIG (middle Income group) flats. Two hundred metres away, in front of the High Income Group (HIG) flats where UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore recently visited, the park is lush green, clean with all facilities — benches, and multi-play equipment.

He has written more than 10 letters to the Commissioner, Mayor, Chief Engineer and made 15 visits to the Municipal Corporation. Everytime the resident gets an assurance, but it is never followed up by work on the ground.
“Now I have given another representation to the new mayor. I don’t know for how long we will crave to get just basic facilities so that people from our area also can have a stroll or sit there,” he said.

(Express Photo: Sahil Walia)

Jhingan said that the green belt in front of HIG flats is being maintained well. “Because the influential people, including retired officers, stay here, the civic officials were quick enough to show this park to administrator but didn’t show the true picture which is right in front of our society,” he said, adding that the charge has been given to certain residents there but here when they request to take charge of this park so that we can maintain it, it is not given.

Broken benches and grills, and no green patch — that is what MIG residents have for a “green” belt.
Most of the parks located in Sector 22 are in a bad shape and in need of maintenance. In some of the parks the lights are missing and in some the swings are missing. In some, there is no grass .

“If you walk around the sidewalk of the park, you’ll see heaps of waste lying unattended,” said Preet, a resident of Sector 22. He said that the tiles on the sidewalk have loosened in a couple of parks and that no one from the authorities comes for maintenance.

However, the park located in Sector 22-B, near city Congress chief Pardeep Chhabra’s home presents a contrast. It is well-maintained, there is no litter lying around. The locals sitting in the park said that it is maintained properly and on a regular basis. “This is a very good park. I love spending time her with my family. I come here every day around 5 or 6 pm,” said Jagdeep, a resident of Sector 22-B.

In Sector 20-A, the park is in a sorry state. Fallen leaves lie unswept. Polythene bags and wrappers are lying around. The park is surrounded by three temples on one side, a government school on the other and a Masjid on the other side.

“Irrespective of its condition, this park sees a lot of rush. People visiting the temples on Sundays and people visiting Masjid on Fridays spend time here,” said a stall owner outside the park. Students from the government school pass through the green area every day to get to the local bus stand.

A well-maintained park near the residence of MP Kirron Kher in Sector 8, Chandigarh. (Express Photo: Sahil Walia)

Vijay Goyal, a resident who has been living in Sector 20-A since 1972, said, “We have registered countless complaints against the condition of the park to the councillor but no lasting action has been taken.”

The park is equipped with swings and rides, but they are damaged. Kids still play on them despite the dangers they present. “There is a ride in the park that has a hole in its platform. Its steel base is bent and can cut any of the kids using it,” said Goyal.

Another ride, which has a small rope bridge that connects two rides, is missing some of the wooden planks and kids using it can easily fall off and hurt themselves pretty badly. Since summer is around the corner, the park will be witnessing an increase in footfall. “As the days get hotter, the number of people visiting the park starts to increase. People come and sit under the shade of trees or take a walk. After hustling through the day, I come to visit the park to relax and sit under the shade,” said Goyal.

A park in bad condition in the same sector as that of Kirron Kher. (Express Photo: Sahil Walia)

A female resident of Sector 20-A, who had brought her young boy to play in the park, said that the park was unsafe for kids to play by themselves without any supervision. “There are stray dogs that roam around without any hindrance. Kids are unaware and curious and could easily approach a dog and get hurt,” she said.

Vicky, a class 11th student, said that he recently saved a 5-year-old boy from getting bit by a stray dog. Vicky along with his friends comes to park frequently and plays cricket or football. The park is fenced by iron grills on the sides most of which are damaged. “The grills are dented and damaged. The doors from the sides have been unhinged and always stay open since they are supported by rocks which if removed will make the gate fall,” said a senior citizen.

There are several ‘huts” under which benches have been set up. But the water in the fountain has turned murky green. “They turn on the waterworks in the fountain every evening and also play music. There is a guy who is a security guard-cum-fountain operator who operates everything. But the water is dirty. They used to clean it every month or so but that stopped.”

Sometimes workers descend on the park to sweep the leaves and trim the trees. “Caretakers come and sweep the grounds but keep the leaves and trimmed branches in heaps and stacks either on the grass or line them against the wall. Then the wind comes and scatters the leaves back onto the ground. And the routine continues,” said Goyal.
He said just setting up parks is not enough. “The authorities need to carry out proper maintenance of the parks so that the public uses them regularly and hence the purpose behind setting up the parks is also fulfilled,” he added.

The local councillor has been selected three times in a row but apparently has failed to address the complaints of the people. “We have passed on complaints to him on multiple occasions regarding various issues but nothing happens. At times he visits and instructs officials to do this and that but after a few days things go back to the way they were,” said Goyal.

Certain green belts are maintained by residents themselves. FOSWAC chairman Bittu said, “The rate they offer to the residents for maintenance, that is Rs 1.50 to Rs 2 per square yard, is really less and because of that even people don’t come forward to maintain it. However, when they ask the civic officials to maintain it, they hardly care.”

Executive engineer, Horticulture Department, Krishan Pal Singh said that they regularly spend budget on manicuring of the neighbourhood parks but certain residents litter stuff which leads to unclean environment.

“Sometimes kids break the multi-play equipment which is installed by the MC. But as and when we get complaints, we address them as soon as possible,” the executive engineer added. A senior official of the corporation said that the horticulture wing is short of staff and as of now, they don’t have tertiary water connections also in all the green belts.