City lacking green cover, still MC ‘abandons’ parks upkeep

Ludhiana: The city where green cover is already lacking, certain green belts and parks have been ‘abandoned’ by the civic body in the absence of manpower and finances. These green belts and public parks can be developed into lush green spaces for the public and green lungs of the city but for the past so many years no attention is being paid towards the same.
The green belts along the old GT Road have been crying for attention for a long time. The boundary walls are damaged and at some places people have even started throwing debris inside. The fountains are not functional and are damaged. Similarly, the green belt near Cheema Chowk got vanished completely due to the ongoing construction work of an elevated road project. The construction material has been kept in the green belt and it has lost its sheen completely.
Meanwhile, one of the oldest parks of the city, Chattar Singh Park in Model Town, is under renovation. Recently constructed walls have collapsed and residents are worried about a garbage dump coming up in the park. They rued how people will come to the park when there will be garbage dump around. The park is in a mess these days as the fountain inside the park has been dismantled and is giving a shabby look to the park.
While complaining, an activist and resident of Model Town, Gurpal Grewal said, “I am grieved to see the condition of Chattar Singh Park as there is mess all around. How can the recently constructed walls collapse in two months.” He said one dump is coming in the park, so in the smell of garbage nobody can even pass from there and morning or evening walk is impossible. He claimed that they need to raise voice, otherwise everything will be turned into concrete.
Another resident from Shivpuri Pankaj Saluja said there was a central verge in Shivpuri area but there were hardly any plants on the central verge and at some locations the central verge was broken. He said similar was the condition of the green belts along the GT road, where the purpose to develop a green belt had been lost. He claimed that officials do plantation every year but why these locations are not selected, so that there was some development even here.
A resident from Haibowal Meenu Malhotra said the city has almost turned into concrete jungle of buildings and if there were any green spaces, then those are either under encroachment or are not maintained properly. She said the authorities should wake up from their slumber and pay attention towards these things as well.
However, on the other hand zonal commissioner of MC Neeraj Jain said, “The major problem is of manpower due to which we are unable to take the load of maintaining green belts and parks of the city. Secondly, in the absence of funds only very essential things are taken up.” He said now they were planning to take up such abandoned spaces under the smart city mission and at least renovation could take place and then they could take over the care of plantation in these parks.
Acute staff crunch
The horticulture branch of the MC is facing acute shortage of staff. Against sanctioned posts of 640 gardeners and beldars only 175 are working, out of which 96 are permanent while others are on daily wages. There is no landscaping officer in the branch for a long time and executive engineer charge is with an officer from bridges and road department. There are total 870 public parks in the city within MC limits and out of these 606 are being handled by the park management committee comprising active residents of the area who are taking care of the parks.
Still there is a responsibility of the civic body to maintain 264 public parks, including big parks of the city like Rose Garden, Leisure Valley, Children Park, Mini Rose Garden, etc. and then there is also 76km-long central verge is also there for development.