Jawahar Bagh Park gets makeover, to open for public from August

AGRA: The Jawahar Bagh Park in Mathura, which witnessed a bloody clash between police and followers of Ram Vriksha Yadav cult on June 2, 2016 has got a complete makeover and is all set to be opened for public from August.
The beautification of the park, redeveloped on the pattern of Ram Manohar Lohia park in Lucknow, has cost the administration Rs 12.22 crore and it has taken almost three years for its completion. The park was scheduled to open in April this year but has been delayed due to repeated Covid-induced lockdown.
According to officials the 280 acre park, which was illegally occupied by Yadav, has been beautified with ornamental, aromatic plants, lightening, besides a children's park with swings, open gym, Yoga platform, 4.5km walking track, 1km jogging track, food court and open air theatre with capacity of 400 people within the complex.
Talking to TOI, District Horticulture officer (DHO) Jagdish Prasad, said, “All work has been completed and only some final touches remain. Around 5,000 plants including divine trees associated with 27 Nakshatra will also be planted in the monsoon season”.
Four years ago, during the violence, over 5,000 trees mostly fruit-bearing varieties were destroyed, many charred in the violence, when police entered the premises to get it vacated from the illegal squatters, as per court orders.
The violence that preceded the eviction of Yadav and his 2,000 odd followers, claimed lives of 29 people, including the then SP (City), Mukul Dwivedi and SO Farah, Santosh Yadav. The family of the slain Mathura SP had demanded that Jawahar Park should be renamed as Mukul-Santosh Udyan, in the memory of the two police officers who lost their lives in the violence. However, no decision has been taken in this regard so far.