Bhubaneswar, Jan. 22: Ekamra Kanan Botanical Garden, the largest park here, is considered one of the most prominent tourist attractions in the city. However, lack of proper maintenance and neglect by the authorities has left its mark on the facility.
The aquatic garden near the entrance of the garden has a pond filled with weed. "The garden used to be a major attraction, especially for children. But, now it is lying in a dilapidated state," said Narendra Behera, resident of Chandrasekharpur.
"One has to pay an entrance fee of Rs 25, so why is there no upkeep of the park?" he said.
The boating facility at the park, too, has remained closed to visitors for the last 15 days. The park workers said it had been closed because of depleting water level in the lake. "Visitors to the park look forward to boating, but it has remained out of bounds over the last fortnight. The water in the lake has become polluted," said Behera.
Spread over 500 acres, Ekamra Kanan is a botanical park of the Regional Plant Resource Centre (RPRC), a state government research organisation working on conservation of plant diversity.
This area is now littered with garbage thrown by visitors. Although dustbins have been installed at several locations of the park, littering is a major concern here. "The authorities should clean up the park and also keep a check on those who litter," said Sanjay Swain, resident of Nayapalli.
Swain, who is a regular at the park, said several visitors carried food items and did not bother to throw the remnants in the bins. "The authorities should impose a fine for littering the park area," he said.
The musical fountain, too, has not being functioning for the past month. Besides, the floating fountain in the lake has stopped working. Another major attraction of the park, Jagannath Vatika, which was set up in February last year, reflects the same sorry state of affairs.
An RPRC official said steps were being taken to undertake a maintenance drive and that would involve the participation of regular visitors to the park.
