Residents use Gandhigiri to beautify neighbourhood parks

BANGALORE: Two-year-old Rhea S wriggles out of her grandfather's safe grasp as they enter the public park near their house in BCC Layout, Vijayanagar. She loves to jump around freely on the lawns, play with flowers and run around. She is not alone — from kids to senior citizens, everybody in the locality loves the greenery and prefers to spend mornings and evenings there.
But the ugly sight of garbage-filled corners kept visitors away. There was nobody to take care of saplings. When repeated complaints to BBMP didn't yield any results, residents decided to revamp the park themselves.
Jayarama KS, a resident, explains that it all began in a small way. "A few years ago, when I was walking past the park, two senior citizens expressed fears about snakes there. Along with two friends, we started clearing bushes during the weekend and within a few weeks, more residents pitched in. Some contributed money to appoint a person to maintain the park, some bought saplings and others were involved in cleaning the green space," he added.
Girish Chunchakandi, a retired cooperative employee, recalled how they removed 12 trucks of garbage. "Now, we have a good walkers' association with around 40 members who maintain the park. On weekends, we discuss how to improve facilities in the park," he added.
Another resident said they wanted to be a role model for RWAs in other areas through Gandhigiri. "After the park took shape, local public representatives are showing interest to be part of the exercise. This also forced officials to act fast and do their job," he added.
A senior official from the BBMP horticulture wing said he'll get reports about park development and direct officials concerned to take charge of it.
Dark den to vertical garden
When you enter the public park at the junction of CMH Road and 100 Ft Road in Indiranagar, a magnificent monolith welcomes you. The green space also houses an outdoor vertical garden, which residents claim is unique to the city. Till a few years ago, the space was nothing but a poorly lit den, untamed weeds and a hub for nefarious activities.
50,000 sqft of happiness
As you enter Sangolli Rayanna Park in Malleswaram 17th Cross, you find a water cascade amid 50,000 sqft of lawn space. The entire joggers' path has been done up in interlocking bricks. There's music flowing all around from speakers aesthetically hidden in artificial mushrooms. Right next to the play area for children is an open-air gym for senior citizens.

It's such people's initiatives which prove, once again, when the civic administration fails us, it's best to roll up our sleeves and get to the task on hand. A well-maintained park is an oasis in a concrete jungle and a matter of pride and joy for people who actively participate to restore it and make sure it's a place they would love to visit regularly. Such community ventures, along with much-needed support from private companies, can go a long way to prove to the BBMP that it has failed miserably in its duty. If this can shake it out of its apathy, it would have served another purpose too.