Give back our playground, Malleswaram residents to BBMP

Bengaluru: People have almost lost access to public playgrounds in West Bengaluru as they have become a hub of commercial activity of late. But residents of Malleswaram and Sheshadripuram have decided to call a halt to this and reclaim their playground.

Pointing out that their children are no longer able to play in the Sirur Park ground as it is being frequently used for conventions and exhibitions, they have appealed to the BBMP to stop leasing it out for such events.

"Ever since the playground in ward no. 94 became a hub of commercial activity, our children are no longer able to play in it.  With the ground being close to the Sampige Road Metro Station, airport road, the Majestic area and so on, it is being used quite frequently for holding of  business conventions and exhibitions," they complain.

Ms Tarabai, a local resident, points out that the entire ground was occupied by autorickshaws on Thursday.

"They were parked there till evening in the name of some event. This is a common scene here," she regretted.

"We have school holidays till May 28. But every week this ground is leased out by the BBMP for one or the other event like business meetings. We are not able to use it to play. But no one cares to listen to us," said a local student, Kumaran Naiker

Going by  the locals, there are no other grounds nearby for outdoor activity."We need to go to the Malleshwaram grounds whenever this ground is unavailable.  But it is always congested with hundreds of locals using it on any given day," complained Mr. Gunakar Reddy, another resident of Malleshwaram.