Smart parks play up kid zones; residents welcome move

Sandip.Bal@timesgroup.com
Parks resonating with the laughter of children always lift one’s mood. And when the city’s civic authorities work to make such areas better, it’s a double delight. More than 120 parks, mostly managed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) and Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), are now getting activity areas for children. The residents of these areas are welcoming the move, as it has provided them the space to bond with their kids and spend quality time with them.


Open mostly in morning and evening, these parks witness good footfall throughout the week. Of course, on weekends, they turn into veritable fairgrounds. The most popular activities among the kids are the slides, swings, walkways and see-saws. What’s more, these rides not only make the children happy, they also allow the kids to get some physical exercise. “Earlier, only older kids and teenagers used to play cricket in open areas. But after these areas were turned into parks, even toddlers and young kids are getting access to quality play areas. It’s a really good move,” said Sucharita Lenka, a teacher.

Moreover, these parks have come as a boon for parents, especially working ones, as they get to spend time with their kids here.

"We hardly get to spend time with our child. Spending a few hours together at home is not enough, so we bring her to the park. Watching her play and grow is priceless,” said Aliva Das, a horticulturist and doting mother.

A welcome step, the skating rinks at the parks has the kids all excited. What’s more, there are also dedicated trainers to guide the children. There’s usually long queues outside Madhusudan Park in Pokhariput and Buddha Jayanti Park in Niladri Vihar because most parents are keen on enrolling their kids in the skating programme. “We train around 30 children in the morning and afternoon. It’s a good thing that the parks have these added facilities. While parents jog or walk, they drop their kids at the rink. Skating is a good sport and helps children get some physical exercise while having fun,” said Asutosh Mallick, a skating trainer at Madhusudan Park.


The smart park at Sahid Nagar has a major attraction for children. Besides the usual slides and swings, the walls of the park are painted with graffiti, each depicting a story. “I’ve noticed children looking at the graffiti intently. When bored of the rides, they try to imagine
the story by looking at these. My daughter narrated a story on a tiger and cows. These paintings help them develop their imagination,” said Kamalkant Sarangi, a resident of Sahid Nagar.


There is, of course, scope for improvement. Rainy days are a concern because there are no facilities to drain out the stagnant water that accumulates near the rides. Parents avoid bringing their children over on such days. Also, if it starts raining suddenly, there are no covers to protect the kids from getting drenched. “The covers also protect the rides from getting wet and rusty. But as there is no cover, we avoid the park during the rainy season. During dry months, I make sure my children learn some physical exercise and get to mingle with friends,” said Susmita Sahoo, an entrepreneur and a resident of Rasulgarh area.

‘We emphasise on providing better playing areas for children. All our parks are children friendly and we are planning to add more such facilities’
— AN Dhir,
chief horticulturist, BDA
POPULAR PARKS

In a nutshell
Sandip.Bal@timesgroup.com
(Photos: Subhranshu Mohapatra)