Garbage strewn in Jodhpur Lake

Just five years after it was renovated in 2003 at a cost of Rs 32 lakh, Jodhpur Lake and the adjoining park, located just behind the place where the Jodhpur Park Durga puja is held, has turned into a garbage dump. Absence of any security allows residents of Jodhpur Park as well as the inhabitants of a nearby slum to throw their waste either into the lake or in the park.

Spread over 4 bighas, the park has nearly 250 visitors every morning. But they all complain about the maintenance of the park or rather the lack of it. “There is zero surveillance in this park,” said Rupak Chakraborty, a local resident. “We requested the local councillor to ensure that the park is maintained properly. But our request fell on deaf ears,” added another resident.

The entire park is strewn with plastic cups, old newspapers and other refuse. At some places, there are heaps of garbage. “If there was at least one security personnel posted at the gate, people would refrain from throwing garbage inside. Even the local residents of Jodhpur Park sometimes throw waste inside the park,” said 75-year-old Nitya Pal, a regular visitor.

People bathe in the park pond

The paved pathway is littered with dry rotten leaves that have not been cleared for a long time. Remains of frameworks of idols are dumped under a large tree just in front of the gate.

“The park was a nice getaway for us, particularly after its renovation a few years ago. The Calcutta Municipal Corporation (CMC) authorities should take its maintenance more seriously,” said A.L. Chatterjee, 85, a local resident.

On its western side of the park stands a defunct drinking water tank. But all the four taps have been stolen. “Initially, after renovation, the civic authorities did a good job of maintaining the park. But for the last two to three years, they seem to have lost all interest. Occasionally, some CMC men come by and remove the garbage,” said a visitor.

On the eastern side of the park, there are several rectangular flower beds where saplings used to be planted. But not a single one exists now.”

Two enclosures with benches and seats inside the park are also strewn with plastic cups, newspaper sheets and marked with stains. When Metro visited the spot on November 27 afternoon, there were around 20 people taking a dip in the pond. Five or six cows grazed inside. “Cows are not allowed inside a CMC area. But here they graze inside the park,” said Chatterjee. Slum dwellers used the green stretch to dry their clothes.

The gate to the park remains unmanned

All this is happening because of the absence of security. “The gate of the park remains open throughout the day, and even during the night. So perpetrators escape scot-free. This can soon turn into a hub for criminals as the gate is not closed even during the night,” added Chakraborty.

The condition of the adjacent lake is equally bad. The water is filthy and choked with water hyacinth.

Councillor: “There are nine parks in my ward but only three ‘permanent’ men for their maintenance. There should be at least two people for each park. I don’t blame the CMC because their budget is meagre. I think residents should play a more responsible role. I expect the residents of Jodhpur Park, an affluent area, to act more responsibly and not dump garbage inside the park. Flowering plants have been stolen and some have withered. If some security personnel can be arranged, the situation might improve. But then again resources are limited. I will wait for some more time for the CMC to depute more workers. Otherwise, the local people themselves will have to arrange for security of the park,” said Ratan Dey, the Trinamul councillor of ward 93.

Mayor-in-council: “It is a fact that we have very little manpower. The budget for maintaining 560 parks that are under the CMC is Rs 20 crore. Though the amount has been raised considerably during the last few years, it is still inadequate. We are appointing non-permanent staff for the maintenance of parks as a solution,” said Faiyaz Ahmed Khan, the mayoral council member (parks and gardens) of the civic body.

Subhajoy Roy

Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya