Bengaluru: Walkers oppose landscaping work at Cubbon Park

BENGALURU: Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BSCL) is spending Rs 4 crore for landscaping various spots in Cubbon Park, including the dry lotus pond, Jawahar Bal Bhavan, Victoria Statue, and more. In addition to this, 8km of pavements will be developed and jogging tracks relaid.
The work is expected to be over by the end of April.
However, S Umesh, president of Cubbon Park Walkers Association, said: “We do not want concrete pavements and walkways.When it rains, water should help recharge the groundwater table which will not be possible if they convert the park into a concrete jungle. They are also planting lawn beds, but in a park, grass should grow naturally. Nothing will remain natural about the park if they continue this way.”
Officials from BSCL, on the other hand, denied converting the park into a concrete space. “We have been working on Cubbon Park for over a year now. There are several citizen groups/associations that are associated with Cubbon Park and each one of these has a different suggestion. As much as we are open to suggestions and criticism, we cannot implement all the suggestions,” Vinayak G Sugar, chief engineer, BSCL, said.
BSCL is using concrete only where necessary, such as fixing the old bridges. All the works are being done in coordination with the department of horticulture, officials said.
On the use of concrete for walking paths, Vinayak said: “We have used Hoskote gravel. Mud with gravel is being used to make the path more firm, water will still be able to percolate and recharge groundwater level. The idea is to ensure the path does not become slushy, causing people to slip.”
However, members of various associations claim that BSCL does not share enough information about their work.
“The concern with Smart City is the lack of public consultation and transparency, which goes against their own MOHUA charter. Whether it is the Queens Vet Hospital, Palace Road, Cubbon Park, now Planetarium, or Bal Bhavan, the conceptualisation, level of interaction, or serving the very community needs that they set out to address, there is a gap. It results in huge losses to government, contractors, and taxpayers’ time, energy, and money,” said Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, co-founder, Heritage Beku.