Hyderabad: The park in Sriram Kunta, Nizampet, known for its greenery and tranquil surroundings, has turned into an eyesore over the past week with pigs and dogs feasting on uncollected garbage that lies strewn along its boundary wall and the gate.
Numerous requests to the municipal authorities to clean the garbage have been unsucessful. Residents and regular visitors to the park expressed their disappointment and frustration over the persistent lack of cleanliness.
Morning walkers, if they are put off by the garbage and its nauseating smell that spreads in the park, have to travel 3 km to find the nearest park.
"The facilities inside the park are decent only because of a few volunteers. The toilets inside the park always remain locked. After a lot of pestering from our end, they opened it for only two days. Now, this pile of garbage has not been cleared for almost 15 days now," said Harish Munigela, a regular walker and resident.
Rajesh Burugula, a regular visitor, said, "I used to cherish my morning walks in this park. It was a peaceful sanctuary for me, but now it's turned into a breeding ground for pests. It's absolutely horrifying to see how it does the opposite of healthy walking to visitors now."
Another distressed walker, Meena Reddy, expressed her disappointment, saying, "This park was a haven for many elderly folks like me. We looked forward to our walks here, but the sight of pigs and dogs rummaging through garbage is nothing short of a nightmare."
Asked why they weren't cleaning the place, a contract Swacchtha employee said, "The residents from the lane adjacent to this one have refused to pay us the monthly fee of Rs 50. When we didn’t pick the trash, they began dumping it here."
A volunteer who had earlier helped clean the park said that the water problem and lack of staff apart from a night watchman was the reason cited behind washrooms inside the park being shut.
Asked about the situation, Nizampet municipal commissioner Ramakrishna Rao said he “would look into the matter.”
