NMC uses MLA fund to concretize ground, lays paver blocks on it

Nagpur: The only playground in Priyadarshini Colony, behind Nagpur city RTO office, has been completely covered with a layer of concrete, with work of laying paver blocks nearing completion. However, residents and activists have now taken objection to the work ordered by West Nagpur MLA Sudhakar Deshmukh through Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) from his MLA fund.
Residents and experts are decrying the loss of the playground, public money, and environment.

Priyadarshini Colony has only one playground situated in the middle of the complex with around 300 flats. Children used to play football and cricket at the playground. Local residents, especially senior citizens, used the playground for walking in morning and evening. Numerous residents, though, also regularly parked vehicles inside the ground along its compound wall.

Deshmukh sanctioned Rs25 lakh to concretize the found and lay inter-locking tiles in entire playground using his MLA Fund. NMC laid the cement concrete layer on the entire playground, dumped gravel, and then laid cement inter-locking tiles, also called as paver blocks.

Deshmukh said no one opposed the work when the bhoomi puja was performed and works started. “Co-opted corporator Nishant Gandhi and some residents had come to me and submitted a memorandum demanding paver blocks on the playground. Therefore, I sanctioned the funds. Bhoomi puja was performed six months ago. Work has been underway for last two months. Now, people are complaining. I would have stopped the work if even a single person had objected earlier. Nothing can be done now,” he said.

A local resident, Surendra Ramteke, told TOI children have started to sustain injuries while playing. “One of the children fractured his leg and others sustained bruises after falling in the last few days. We did not demand the work. The playground could have been redeveloped in various ways using the same funds. How will children play and citizens walk on this concrete structure now,” he asked.

Ramteke added that no-objection certificate (NOC) from residential societies should have been taken, but no one did that before beginning the works.

Sports rehabilitation expert Dr Vivek Bambal said cementing of playground or laying paver blocks leads to more injuries for any age group. “Such surface cannot be used for playing or walking. It will be injurious for children and senior citizens due to the jerk on the hard surface, and also if someone falls, which is common while playing. Nobody can justify this work. Layers of sand, grass, clay mud kind of track should be used for redevelopment of playgrounds,” he said.

Activist Akshay Samarth, also an advocate, said the work appears to have been done only to benefit a contractor, and required an inquiry. “Public money was wasted in the work. It has also caused serious damage to environment. Water cannot percolate into the ground due to cement concrete layer below the paver blocks. It is the only open space in entire area and it was destroyed by the work. NMC should immediately stop the work and restore the playground,” he said.

Samarth added NMC should have refused to do the work even if Deshmukh approved the funds. “NMC flouted its own norms and harmed the environment. Even local residents are not happy. Ultimately, who is the beneficiary,” he questioned.

Some residents even questioned if the playground was being converted into a permanent parking area for cars.

The NMC engineers executing the project said work has been carried out as it was sanctioned by Deshmukh. “NMC is just the executing agency. We concretized the ground before laying paver blocks to ensure sustainability. The blocks become uneven if laid on sand or mud,” they said.