Sandeep Dwivedy
Post News Network
Cuttack, May 19: Apathy of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) in properly maintaining the 27 recreational parks in the Silver City has invited flak from several quarters.
Poor upkeep of the parks has left the parks in dilapidated condition, residents alleged. Some of the parks have turned into safe havens for criminals and anti-social elements during night while the facilities turn grazing grounds for stray cattle during the day.
Water fountains and chairs of a park at Jobra have been lying in decrepit condition for years. However, the civic authorities are yet to undertake the repair work. Similarly, developmental work at Biswanath Pandit Park at Khannagar has been a far cry for more than a decade, said sources.
A proposal to develop the parks in public private partnership (PPP) mode has also been put on the back burner. “CMC authorities have turned a blind eye to the sorry state of parks in the city. Chairs and light posts have been lying damaged for years as a result of which people find it difficult to spend time there during the evening,” said Manoj Behera, a resident of Buxi Bazaar area.
“Modern facilities, which are available in the parks in other cities, are yet to be installed in the parks here. People are gradually moving away from these parks thanks to lack of maintenance. People now-a-days prefer to spend their leisurely hours on the Ring Road during the summer evenings,” rued Manoranjan Swain, a resident of Station Bazaar.
CMC commissioner Gyana Ranjan Das said, “We are trying to improve the condition of the parks in the city and have decided to focus on the maintenance issues at several parks in the city.”
“The CMC submitted an action plan regarding the matters to the deputy secretary of Housing and Urban Development Department. Once the amount is sanctioned, we will float tenders and the work will start.”he said.
