While countless commuters access the Silver Jubilee Park road, the park it is named after remains inaccessible.
The Silver Jubilee Park in Dodpete has poor maintenance and the sewage pipeline’s renovation waste is dumped in the park.
Cement pipes, concrete slabs, and other construction debris are dumped in different areas of the park. Visitors avoid going to the park due to the wrecked fountains and damaged pathways. The entrance of the park does not have any gate, leaving it open for stray dogs to enter.
Aarathapa, the park In-charge, who has been working for seven years in the park, said that due to funding problems there is no security guard. “Six months back a security guard was there, but due to lack of funds he left,” he said. He added that the inspection officer comes three times a week, and the construction of the sewage pipeline has been going on for two years and people rarely come for recreation,
Chandulal Jain, a shop owner, opposite the park said that he has been complaining to Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for three years regarding the drainage water clogging the road, which goes into the park many times. He added, “K R Market, Narasimha Raja (NR) road, Silver Jubilee Park (SJP) road, Sadar Patrappa (SP) road, and Chickpet area are the places the government collects huge revenue from, but the officials are not bothered to develop the places.”
Non-functional fountain in the park.
To repair an underground sewage pipeline in Dodpete next to the Silver Jubilee Park, the government had given a tender two years back. Till date, the renovation work is going on in the park. An official from the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) said that there has been damage to a big sewage pipe and the repair work for the same is going on. He added that that the exact time for completion is not known.
To celebrate the 25 years of rule of Krishna Raja Wadeyar IV, Sri Krishna Rajendra Silver Jubilee Park was built in 1927. This was built on an area of 12,089 square meters, and included features like fountains and a children’s play area. However, with the construction going on, this is no longer the case in the park.
Research confirms that parks in urban areas promote the health and well-being of the people. Harsha Nadagoudar, Director of Hybrid Urbanists Pvt. Ltd., says that the delay in construction could be due to labour shortage or because it is given less priority. As the area near SJP road is an old settlement and not very well planned, rapid commercialization led to poor sewage connections. He added that 10 to 15 percent of the industrial space must be allotted to parks and other recreational activities as it provides breathing space for the public.
It’s incredible how parks are left in this state by the governing bodies 🙁