Civic apathy hits green spaces in Hubballi-Dharwad

Hubballi: The twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad continue to face a serious shortage of properly developed parks, even as public demand for green patches has increased significantly in the post-Covid years. According to the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation (HDMC), there are 722 parks spread across 82 wards in the twin cities. Of these, only 135 are fully developed, while 350 are partially developed and as many as 237 remain completely undeveloped. These figures clearly reflect the poor state of urban green infrastructure in a rapidly growing city that urgently needs accessible recreational spaces for residents of all age groups. After the pandemic, citizens began placing greater importance on parks and gardens for walking, exercise, relaxation and mental well-being. Despite this growing need, the municipal corporation has failed to treat park development as a priority. In many residential localities, parks exist only on paper or in a neglected condition. Worse still, several such spaces have reportedly been encroached upon, while others have been reduced to garbage dumping grounds. Prakash Raikar, a resident of Keshwapur, said the condition of these parks highlights a wider issue of weak urban planning and poor maintenance. Parks are not merely decorative additions to a city; these are vital public assets that improve environmental quality and provide breathing spaces amid expanding concrete structures. When such spaces are ignored, the quality of life declines, he added. To improve the situation, HDMC invited applications from non-governmental organisations and other groups to participate in park development and maintenance. However, the response was disappointing. Only nine parks have so far been handed over to organisations and NGOs, indicating either a lack of awareness, limited trust in the process or inadequate incentives for participation. Umesh Dushi, a social activist, said the present situation calls for urgent and sustained action from the civic body. HDMC must identify encroachments, clear garbage, allocate funds and ensure systematic development and upkeep of parks across all wards. Without immediate intervention, the twin cities will continue to be deprived of much-needed green spaces, he added. Rudresh Ghali, the HDNC commissioner, said a meeting would soon be convened, and all zonal assistant commissioners would be directed to ensure parks and gardens in their respective areas are fenced and properly maintained.