Hyderabad: In August, minister for municipal administration K.T. Rama Rao had announced that major city parks would be adopted by a municipal body for better maintenance. However, till now nothing has been done. The maintenance of Indira Park, J. Vengal Rao Park at Banjara Hills and even colony parks has gone for a toss. Hundreds of citizens use these neglected facilities every day. Vendors operating near the parks dump unsegregated waste. The garbage truck does not come regularly, and the waste remains there for days. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) maintains about 19 public parks, 17 theme parks, 772 parks in residential colonies and 428 other parks. The total area covered by these parks is over 600 acres in Hyderabad.
Of the 521 colony parks that are being maintained by the (GHMC), many have been either turned into dumping yard or have become the site for anti-social activities. Some of the parks like Madhura Nagar Park, Chilkal-guda, Nimboliadda, Balkampet Park are in a state of neglect.
Majority of them have no security guard, no lighting and no cleanliness measures. The walking track is broken and full of pits while their gate and railings are missing. “The park does not need daily cleaning as no garbage is generated except for green waste. if cleaning is done at least once in three days, it would help maintain the park. We have made repeated request to the circle offices but I have not seen a single officer inspecting the park so far”, added Mr. K. Anand of Chilkalguda.
As part of the 100 day action plan, GHMC announced the development of 20 more parks in the city in 2016. In Saraswathi Nagar Colony, Uppal Circle, BDL Colony, Mamathanagar Colony, and L.B. Nagar Circle, works have been completed. That apart parks were announced in Rail Vihar in Circle-11, Venkateshwar Rao Colony, Circle 15, Santosh Colony Phase-II in Circle 16, Jyothi Nagar Colony in Circle 17, and LIG Colony in Circle 13.
“For maintenance purpose, the GHMC has invited government departments and corporates to maintain them under Corporate Social Responsibility. HMWS&SB took over the maintenance of Vengal Rao Nagar park in August. Interested parties were invited to approach the zonal office for either adoption or maintenance.
The guidelines for adoption have been framed. With regard to new parks, their maintenance will be handed over to Residential Welfare Associations,” said GHMC Commissioner Dr. B. Janardhan Reddy.
Some Well maintained parks are
Methodist colony park- Begumpet
West Marredpally park
Shanthinagar – Masab tank park
Mini colony parks in Defence colony, A. S Rao nagar
Barkatpura Park
Walkers face smoke, garbage
Dry leaves that have accumulated on the 5-km outer walkway of the KBR park are being burnt there itself, emitting carbon monoxide. The leaves are collected and kept in piles for burning adjacent to the walkway. Waste heaps are a common sight there during evenings, say those who go for walking in the area.
Another main source of waste is generated from the vendors who complain of the GHMC truck not being regular in collecting the waste.
Sandeep Raj, a regular visitor to the park said the outer walk way closes at 9am and reopens around 4pm every day. Cleaning is done in between. “Sweepers don’t come in the morning. For two days, I found burnt leaves near the track. The next day, I managed to take pictures of the leaves being accumulated in the morning. Waste generated by the fruits and vegetable vendors too is dumped there. When I questioned one of the vendors, he complained of the garbage truck does notcome regularly.”
The outer walkway was once under the control of the HMDA. However, it was later handed over to the GHMC.
