In just under two months, those visiting the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain or the yet-to-be inaugurated National Military Memorial on Chowdiah Road will not find parking a problem. The parking facility on the Chowdiah Road-Raj Bhavan Road, which is part of the road-widening project by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), is nearing completion.
Speaking to The Hindu , S. Somashekar, Chief Engineer, Roads and Infrastructure, BBMP, said, “The parking facility is a part of the three-division road-widening project that includes building a compound wall around the National Military Memorial and Indira Gandhi Fountain, making a pedestrian walkway, and the creation of ample parking space for visitors of the Jawaharlal Nehru Planetarium, Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain and the National Military Memorial.”
To be completed
He added that the project was in its final stages and should be completed in the next one-and-a-half months. Mr. Somashekar said the cost of building the compound wall and grilling the area around the military memorial and fountain park will amount to Rs. 95 lakh and Rs. 50 lakh for the parking project.
When asked if visitors would have to pay for parking, Mr. Somashekar said a decision would be taken after the government’s nod on the BBMP’s ‘pay and park’ policy. Citizens, though, have mixed feelings about the upcoming facility. Lalitha, who visits the planetarium often with her son, said it has its own parking anyway.
She also questioned whether parking on the roadside would lead to traffic congestion.
On the other hand, Vasudev Rao was happy that the BBMP was making an attempt to create parking space without felling trees.
Mohan G., a regular visitor to the Indira Gandhi Fountain Park, said it is really disheartening that first a section of the park was taken over by the Bangalore Development Authority for a memorial park, and now the BBMP is adding to the chaos with the parking facility.
‘Why the need?’
“When Indira Gandhi Fountain Park has its own parking space for 200 cars and the planetarium too, what was the need to blow up crores of taxpayers’ money in the name of parking space and beautification?” he asked.
