JOIN USPeople’s Park in Mysore city is one among a few lung spaces left including Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens, Karanji Lake, Kukkarahalli Lake and institutions like CFTRI.
However, our political leaders and bureaucrats have a master plan to destroy it.
Bangalore has Cubbon Park and Lal Bagh, thanks to the efforts of environmentalists. Can one imagine New York without its Central Park or London without its Hyde Park. Can’t we save People’s Park for future generations?
Join Mysore Grahaka Parishad’s efforts to protest against such designs at People’s Park near Canara Bank at 10 am on May 27 (Sunday) to take part in the symbolic tree planting initiative.
I had been to the People’s Park to see how our Mysore City Corporation (MCC) has been taking care of this once beautiful park.
First, they gave a portion of the park to a tennis court (in the 1950s). Later, they gave a portion of it for constructing a girls high school and PU college (in 1983).
Since the 1990s, our politicians and bureaucrats have been trying to dispose off what is left of the park — first, for commercial purpose in the name of building a library, in the early 2000s for constructing a bus stand for private buses and in recent months the government itself wants to build a library. On May 5, the chief minister laid a foundation stone.
Miracle
Fortunately, there is not much plastic garbage near the entrance from the southern side of People’s Park where the Government Girl’s PU College is situated.
However, there are some ares of the park where there is. So far no one is using the park as a dumping place for garbage. This is a miracle!
Tennis courts, which meet the requirements of half per cent of population is kept in good condition whereas the park which can delight the remaining 99 per cent is allowed to rot. We can convert this into a delight not just for tourists but also for residents with a little bit of effort.
In the mid 90s, the place where the CM laid the foundation stone was full of trees. Without even getting permission from authorities concerned, they were felled to get ready to build a library. MGP got a stay order, exposed the huge corruption scam behind it and library project was dropped.
Some people have already made plans to encroach land in the park. A small shrine has come up in recent times. What is the MCC doing?
However, the good tiding this time is, even the city police commissioner has lent his support for the cause of protecting People’s Park.