Silver Jubilee Park getting a long-awaited facelift

Silver Jubilee Park getting a long-awaited facelift

The Hindu

Rs. 70 lakh spent on the first phase of the work on the park


Bangalore: It is one of the oldest parks in the older part of the city and is in the process of getting a long-awaited facelift. But concreting work on parallel roads, lined with hardware and tools shops, may have to be completed fast or it may hinder attempts at greening the five-acre park.

The Karnataka Hardware and Allied Merchant's Association, which coordinated the realignment of utility pipes and cables, is happy that the constant dust, which affected their business by driving away customers, will soon be history. They are happy that the open storm water drain running through the middle of the park is being covered with the help of the Karnataka Land Army Corporation. "The concreting work of the main road is almost over; October 15 was the deadline and we feel confident that the work will be completed at least before the month-end. The delay has been because of the rains and we cannot blame anyone for that," said B.K. Goyal, president of the Merchants' Association. The only black spot remaining is the concreting of the adjacent Shantappa Lane that houses steel dealers, he said. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has spent around Rs. 70 lakh on the first phase of the work on the park and will be spending more on providing amenities such as playground for children, decorative lights, more trees and ornamental shrubs and a paved pathway for joggers and fitness walkers.

The park was almost in danger of being converted into a parking lot, but a direction from the Karnataka High Court that all green spaces should be preserved , saved it. The park was built in 1927 to commemorate the silver jubilee of the reign of the then Maharaja Krishnaraja Wadiyar and is known for its stately "Royal Palms."