The 209th Lalbagh Republic Day flower show that started on January 18 promised cleanliness, ban on plastic among many other things. Metrolife visited Lalbagh yesterday to check whether the promises were kept.
Trash bins were seen every kilometre along with ‘do not use plastic’ and ‘do not litter’ signs. We also noticed many workers deployed to keep a check on the cleanliness.
As it was a weekday, not many people other than school children and a few homemakers were spotted, and yet a lot of cops were stationed to maintain the decorum. We also heard a lot of safety announcements being made.
Seventy-year-old Satyavati, who came with her family, has been frequenting the garden for more than 40 years and says that the flower show is getting better every year. She adds, “This year’s flower show looks clean. The six-foot Gandhi statue and the three monkeys are the main attractions of the show.”
But the event is not without its flaws either. According to a high school teacher Veena, Lalbagh needs more trees.
“Though the seating arrangement is adequate, it gets difficult to walk around on a sunny day as there is not enough shade,” she observes.
Many other Lalbagh visitors felt the same. Some people even pointed out that the number of water dispensers placed weren’t adequate.
Meena Kant, principal of St Benedict’s Academy in Kumbalgodu, who accompanied her students for the visit, says that the flower show is educational.
She says, “Since children these days are too far away from nature, flower shows of this kind will help them learn a thing or two.”
Just when we were about to leave, we noticed garbage, including plastic bottles and packets, piled up in the parking area; it was the only trash we could find at the show.
To sum it up, this year’s Lalbagh flower show stood by most of the promises made.
