Disappearing playgrounds

Disappearing playgrounds
By Satish Shile, DH News Service, Bangalore:

Playgrounds in Bangalore often serve anything but sports.
They are used as garbage dumping yards, home for the poor, location for government offices. And in some places they could turn into parks. This is the multi-pronged approach of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike towards playgrounds.
Deccan Herald in April had come out with a series of reports on how BBMP is trying to build underground parking lots in some playgrounds. This time, the paper decided to check the condition of playgrounds maintained by BBMP.
One of the oldest playgrounds in the City is in Majestic area behind Chiklalbagh, categorised as 'C' grade by BBMP. Interaction with the residents revealed that at any given time at least four to five alemari (nomadic) families camp in the playground.
It also serves as a “collection centre’ for municipal waste generated in the near-by areas until disposal.
Lack of proper security is one of the reasons for misuse of the playground, locals say.
In the kho-kho playground at Hombegowda Nagar this reporter saw children playing cricket. Residents say it is used more for activities entirely unconnected to sports.
A part of the ground is occupied by a BWSSB service station.
A veterinary dispensary has also found a place here. Nearly a quarter of the playground area is occupied by these two offices.
"This field is too small to play cricket or football. Only games like kho-kho and throw ball can be played here. We come here to play from Jayanagar, as we don't have playgrounds near-by. We feel that every locality should have open space to play", said Rajesh N, student of I PUC.
An open space next to Hombegowda playground had been used by students of Gangamma Hombegowda Girls' High School as playground for many years. Palike converted it into a park and threw it open to public in November 2006. With that, students lost a playground.
Prakash, former president of City Youth Wing of the BJP, said conversion of playgrounds into park requird a huge amount of money.
"Officers of the Palike favour creation of more parks as they get opportunity to swindle money in the name of park development. One playground in Havanur Circle in Basaveshwarnagar, two in Jayanagar T block and one more near Power House in Rajajinagar have been converted into parks spending huge sums", he alleged.
However the Palike denies the allegation. "We have not converted even a single playground into park. Children normally play in all open places including those reserved for parks. When we take up development of an open space into park, the public presume that the space was meant to be a playground and is being converted into park. In reality it is not so. We develop parks only in spaces which have been reserved exclusively for the purpose", said Mr Krishna Udupudi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP.
Shelter for slum dwellers
A visit to Austin Town revealed that a playground can be the 'ideal' place to rehabilitate slum-dwellers. Believe it or not, the Palike has begun construction of houses in a playground measuring 125 X 50 mts. The houses are being constructed to rehabilitate slum-dwellers under Basic Services of Urban Poor programme (BSUP) funded under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. With that children of locality have lost a place to play. Palike officials defend their action saying "it is inevitable". Joint Commissioner (Development) Anjan Kumar said, "We have acquired the playground to fulfill the needs of the poor. Anyhow we have not acquired the playground of a school. What we have acquired is an independent place."
Regarding the public taking refuge in playgrounds, Mr Anjan Kumar said the Palike does not have a system to provide security to all playgrounds. "Ideally we should have security men in all playgrounds. But now there is no such system. We have taken up many programmes to provide security for playgrounds as well as improve infrastructure. Moreover nomadic communities live for a short period and move on to other places. Vacating them is not a problem", he said.
For other activities
Recently well-known film actor and BJP MLC Srinath completed 40 years in filmdom. To mark the occasion, a music programme was organised at a playground in Jayanagar III block. Allowing a music programme in the playground attracted strong criticism. Jayanagar MLA Ramalinga Reddy criticised the Palike for granting permission to organisers of the programme.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, he said "Infrastructure in the playground is being developed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. If the ground is allotted for such programmes organisers dig up the ground indiscriminately and obstruct sport activities. I have pressurised the Palike Commissioner not to allow such programmes on playgrounds in future".Disappearing playgrounds
By Satish Shile, DH News Service, Bangalore:

Playgrounds in Bangalore often serve anything but sports.
They are used as garbage dumping yards, home for the poor, location for government offices. And in some places they could turn into parks. This is the multi-pronged approach of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike towards playgrounds.
Deccan Herald in April had come out with a series of reports on how BBMP is trying to build underground parking lots in some playgrounds. This time, the paper decided to check the condition of playgrounds maintained by BBMP.
One of the oldest playgrounds in the City is in Majestic area behind Chiklalbagh, categorised as 'C' grade by BBMP. Interaction with the residents revealed that at any given time at least four to five alemari (nomadic) families camp in the playground.
It also serves as a “collection centre’ for municipal waste generated in the near-by areas until disposal.
Lack of proper security is one of the reasons for misuse of the playground, locals say.
In the kho-kho playground at Hombegowda Nagar this reporter saw children playing cricket. Residents say it is used more for activities entirely unconnected to sports.
A part of the ground is occupied by a BWSSB service station.
A veterinary dispensary has also found a place here. Nearly a quarter of the playground area is occupied by these two offices.
"This field is too small to play cricket or football. Only games like kho-kho and throw ball can be played here. We come here to play from Jayanagar, as we don't have playgrounds near-by. We feel that every locality should have open space to play", said Rajesh N, student of I PUC.
An open space next to Hombegowda playground had been used by students of Gangamma Hombegowda Girls' High School as playground for many years. Palike converted it into a park and threw it open to public in November 2006. With that, students lost a playground.
Prakash, former president of City Youth Wing of the BJP, said conversion of playgrounds into park requird a huge amount of money.
"Officers of the Palike favour creation of more parks as they get opportunity to swindle money in the name of park development. One playground in Havanur Circle in Basaveshwarnagar, two in Jayanagar T block and one more near Power House in Rajajinagar have been converted into parks spending huge sums", he alleged.
However the Palike denies the allegation. "We have not converted even a single playground into park. Children normally play in all open places including those reserved for parks. When we take up development of an open space into park, the public presume that the space was meant to be a playground and is being converted into park. In reality it is not so. We develop parks only in spaces which have been reserved exclusively for the purpose", said Mr Krishna Udupudi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP.
Shelter for slum dwellers
A visit to Austin Town revealed that a playground can be the 'ideal' place to rehabilitate slum-dwellers. Believe it or not, the Palike has begun construction of houses in a playground measuring 125 X 50 mts. The houses are being constructed to rehabilitate slum-dwellers under Basic Services of Urban Poor programme (BSUP) funded under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. With that children of locality have lost a place to play. Palike officials defend their action saying "it is inevitable". Joint Commissioner (Development) Anjan Kumar said, "We have acquired the playground to fulfill the needs of the poor. Anyhow we have not acquired the playground of a school. What we have acquired is an independent place."
Regarding the public taking refuge in playgrounds, Mr Anjan Kumar said the Palike does not have a system to provide security to all playgrounds. "Ideally we should have security men in all playgrounds. But now there is no such system. We have taken up many programmes to provide security for playgrounds as well as improve infrastructure. Moreover nomadic communities live for a short period and move on to other places. Vacating them is not a problem", he said.
For other activities
Recently well-known film actor and BJP MLC Srinath completed 40 years in filmdom. To mark the occasion, a music programme was organised at a playground in Jayanagar III block. Allowing a music programme in the playground attracted strong criticism. Jayanagar MLA Ramalinga Reddy criticised the Palike for granting permission to organisers of the programme.
Speaking to Deccan Herald, he said "Infrastructure in the playground is being developed at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore. If the ground is allotted for such programmes organisers dig up the ground indiscriminately and obstruct sport activities. I have pressurised the Palike Commissioner not to allow such programmes on playgrounds in future".