Promises made by the authorities to redevelop Chikka Lalbagh park after the completion of the underground tunnel for Namma Metro’s Green Line under Phase I have fallen flat. The entire Phase I has been operational for over a year, but the park continues to languish. A large portion of the park, which was used for metro construction work, has turned into a parking lot. The rest of the once green expanse is filled with garbage, debris, and dust.
To build the tunnel, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) had taken over three-fourth of the park; 80-odd trees had been chopped. After the completion of the work, a majority of the land was returned to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).
Concrete and mud that had been used to block two entry points to the park from Tank Bund Road have not been removed. Chairs for visitors to the park have not been restored and the pathways are in a sorry state. The park has been left to go to ruin without any caretaker, said residents of nearby areas who have complained to civic officials about hotels and food stall owners dumping waste in the park and the resulting stray dog menace.
“There was a time when the park was a public space. People would exercise there every day, but now I rarely see anyone visiting it. Recently, even the equipment for children to play were removed,” said Khurshid, a resident, . “The park is in the same condition that it was left after the metro work,” he said.
For students in the area, the park is the only open space they have. Vishal, who studies in class 8 in a nearby school, often plays volleyball with his classmates in the filthy park. “Our school doesn’t have any playground and even though this place is a mess, we come here to play. We have nowhere else to go as the area is congested with buildings and traffic,” he said.
BBMP officials blame the condition of the park on delays in the tender process. N.S. Revanna, Assistant Executive Engineer of the BBMP who is in charge of the redevelopment of the park, said, “The development work was stalled owing to delays in the tender process. Recently, BMRCL transferred ₹2 crore for the renovation, which includes construction of a meditation hall, walking tracks, seating arrangements, and entrances.”
Locals, however, remain unimpressed with these plans and only want to see the open space restored.
“Currently, the work is in a nascent stage and it will take eight to nine months,” said Mr. Revanna, and added that another ₹2.5 crore was expected to be released by BMRCL for landscaping and developing a garden, which would be overseen by the BBMP’s Horticulture Department.
‘Historic location’
President of the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha Vatal Nagaraj said, “It is sad that Tulasi Thota (Chikka Lalbagh), which has witnessed historic Communist movements and Kannada chaluvalis, has been reduced to a dump yard. This is a clear act of disrespecting our history, which has resulted in complete collapse of the beautiful park which was as popular as Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. Just like kere ulisi movement to save the lakes in Bengaluru, we should start a thota ulisi campaign as parks are completely neglected by the BBMP.
