The Yaadgare Shahjahani Park, associated with the history of state capital turns into a den for drunkards in night. Empty liquor bottles and disposal glasses littered around the park welcome the regular morning walkers visiting the park. Despite repeated appeals and numerous complaints made to the corproators concerned of the old Bhopal no action has been taken. Not only this the requests to appoint a security guard too had gone on deaf ears, consequently the park remains open for whole night- providing easy access and shelter to the drunkards.
Located near the Lower Lake, the park has its own share of followers in old Bhopal where residents go for their morning or evening walk, every day. After the installation of transfer station of Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) in the park last year- the filth and foul smell is already posing discomfort to the visitors and the frequent gatherings of anti-social elements in the park for consuming liquor is adding to their woes.
Shafique Khan, a resident of old Bhopal said the nearby rain basera and labors working in sites usually gather in the park at night. He says the BMC has failed to deploy a security guard at the gates of park that is why anyone can get inside without any trouble.
Dinesh Yadav, local corporator said he has urged the BMC about deploying a security guard but they have not done anything so far. He says the labours who work in nearby sites are also seen sitting in the park in night. He claimed the local police as well as BMC have to work together for safety of the park else people would stop coming to it.
Shahjahani Park lies in front of Sultania hospital where relatives of the patients also go to the park for spending time but they also feel the pinch of unhygienic surrounding in the park. Rafique Qureshi, corporator in whose ward the hospital lies says that the park has historical importance and that the authorities have totally forgotten it. First they installed a transfer station and now they have failed to deploy any guard for the park. The labours as well as others, who usually sleep on road, enter the park for consuming liquor. Qureshi said he himself have urged BMC to deploy guard in the park but to no avail.
BOX= City superintendent of police (CSP) Kotwali Bittu Sharma says that she will not allow anyone to sit inside the park at odd hours. She said she take up conduct a drive to ward of such elements from the park, tonight.