JOIN USThe Garden City is slowly losing the green cover that once adorned its streets and corners, thanks to the negligence and lack of maintenance on the part of the authorities.
For instance, the areas around tree guards across the City are being used as garbage dumps. They have become an eyesore to say the least.
When asked about the poor maintenance of the City’s green space, the BBMP authorities say that they are trying to complete the work they have in hand.
“We have several things in hand. We are laying new roads and footpaths and also trying to clean and beautify these small gardens and patches across the City. The work is going on in several areas of the City,” says an official from the BBMP.
Several places like the Martyrs’ Memorial at the Brigade Road Junction,a small garden in Viveknagar and some green patches on the Outer Ring Road have been conveniently converted into garbage dumps by the citizens.
The authorities don’t bother to clean these places or give them a facelift.
“It is sad to see that these green patches have been left unattended to. The City was known for its lush green gardens once upon a time. Now that the tourist influx has increased, the BBMP should do something about the upkeep of the City, not only in the prime areas but also the outskirts like Electronic City and Whitefield,” says Avinash, a professional.
Many suggest that a public-private partnership can help in the upkeep of the City and its beautification as well.
“If help is sought from the private sector for the beautification of the City,
I am sure that the dynamics will change,” says a student.
“A city is not only about its people but also how it looks. I feel that Bangaloreans also have a huge role to play in this case. We start dumping garbage whenever we see a piece of land that is unused or lying vacant. It becomes the ideal place to empty our trash cans. Why blame the authorities all the time? We are equally responsible for dirtying our city,” adds the student.
The citizens point out that once the authorities take an initiative to create these small green spots,they don’t make an effort to maintain them on a regular basis.
“I have observed that some big parks and gardens in the City are very well-maintained. On the other hand, certain small green corners on the roads are hardly maintained.
The weeds are not cleared and the iron enclosures are not painted even once a year. It leaves a very bad impression on tourists. The situation is very unfortunate,” explains Rohan, a student.