JOIN USScorching summer has been leaving its impression on every possible aspect of life in the town. While people are reeling under acute water scarcity, parks, the precious lung spaces in the town, are virtually withering away.
With the onset of summer, people throng parks in large numbers to get relief from the summer heat. The lush green parks provide a respite from the sweltering heat. Furthermore, citizens from all walks of life and across all age groups come to parks in the morning and evening for a walk.
There are a total of seven public parks in Kolar town and the City municipality has constructed them utilising the funds available under the Integrated Development of Small and Medium Towns scheme. The local body has been maintaining all these parks. Wide variety of plants have been grown in these parks.
The greenery in the parks mitigate the adverse summer effect a little bit.
Before the onset of summer, all the parks in the town were being watered. But, Kolar has been facing acute water scarcity in the last 20 days owing to summer. In view of scarcity, water is being supplied to these parks every alternate day.
Apparently, without sufficient water, the plants in the parks are withering away. They may ultimately die if not watered adequately. With plants offering succour no more, people are turning away from parks. Furthermore, several attractions such as fountains and others at the parks too have come to standstill due to lack of water.
But summer is not the only reason for the pathetic plight of parks. Several facilities such as flying hanger etc installed at the parks have been damaged by the miscreants. The statute of poet laureate Kuvempu at the Kuvempu Park has been mutilated.
“I have been coming to Kuvempu Park for a stroll for the past 10 years. The trees and plants in the park wither away every summer due to lack of maintenance. Though water is scarce during summer, it cannot be a ground for not supplying water to parks,” said Anand, a resident of Muneshwaranagar.
Staff not paid
The city municipality has not paid salaries to the people appointed for the park upkeep. They have not been paid salaries form months together. Therefore, these watchmen and maintenance staff have left their jobs. This has led to unbridled immoral activities in parks. Parks have become havens for smokers and liquor addicts. Gambling is continuing unabated in the parks. Police too have not been patrolling parks. As a result, people coming to park for a walk are now fearing for their safety.
When contacted, municipal commissioner K N Lakshminarayan said that water was being supplied to the parks on alternate days as water crisis had surfaced owing to onset of summer. He said that since plants and trees were withering away, steps will be taken to ensure adequate water supply to the parks.