Poorly-maintained municipal park in Krishna Nagar Colony loses regulars

GUNTUR: The municipal park in Krishna Nagar established in 1955 for children and morning walkers to spend their leisure time has now turned into a garbage dump.The park, once had swings, slides and a number of play materials that attracted hundreds of children from nearby colonies like Ashok Nagar, Brindavan Garden and SVN Colony in the evenings and weekends.

Now it wears a deserted look with garbage and broken equipment.

The absence of maintenance from the authorities concerned is the main reason for the condition of the park. “We used to spend our evenings in the park. A lot of children from the nearby colonies also come and play in the park. But bad times have fallen upon this park, mainly because of the inadequate maintenance from the authorities,” Muniraju complained.

“Playing helps children improve their physical and mental health. When the park had good facilities, we used to take our kids there. But now there is hardly any space for them to play, as a result they have very few friends outside their peer group in school. Most of our children are now confined to home and have less interest in playing, which is a serious concern,” Sailaja lamented.

People have taken this issue to the notice of senior officials on several occasions urging them to renovate the park or hand over it to a private organisation for maintenance. There is no adequate number of staff to sweep the park and clean the washrooms. The washrooms did not have detergents and brushes for cleaning. Buckets and mugs were not provided. As there are no security guards, the public park is being misused.

“Our pleas fell on deaf ears. We have not even received a proper reply from the officials. Ever since its inauguration in 1955, the park has not undergone any renovation. With continued lack of cooperation on the part of Guntur Municipal Corporation, we are beginning to lose interest,” says Rahul, a morning walker.

“At night, the park is used by some to consume alcohol. The surface of the walkway is uneven and visitors often trip and fall. When it rains, water is found stagnant. In some places, the tiles are broken and they have not been replaced,” says P Ashok, a resident.

Public park bears the brunt of neglect
The municipal park was once a favourite hangout spot for the residents and kids
The play area that had swings, couple of see-saws and other equipment became a huge hit among children
The park has become a haven for anti-social elements in the absence of lighting and maintenance works