People walk on roads for want of space

People walk on roads for want of space
DH News Service,Bangalore:

Once famous as the Garden City, Bangalore now has only 300 parks and gardens to cater to a population of around 70 lakhs. There are actually around 550 parks but many are victims of official apathy and are on the verge of extinction.
This stark reality was brought to light when Deccan Herald dug up information regarding the available lung spaces in Bangalore, which are used by the health - concious. Due to this paucity the Bangalorean is compelled to jog or walk on killer-roads sans pavements.

Garbage dumps

According to the sources in the horticultural department, there are around 150 small and medium parks, besides major parks like Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. There are also around 150 walking paths in gardens dotted across the City. Many areas reserved for parks have been converted into garbage dumps, while people are left with no choice but to walk on the city roads. These are unsafe with the volume of traffic at any given time on our roads.
Consider this - the Bharath Housing Cooperative Society has earmarked around five acres of land for a park near Uttarahalli. Now this space has become the BBMP’s garbage dump. People living in the surrounding areas have no alternative but to use the footpath to exercise.
However, making matters worse, this footpath is used to park vehicles, so people are left with no other option, but to walk on the narrow and busy road, where heavy vehicles ply constantly.
The city hasn’t forgotten the death of eminent collage artist V Balu, who died in a hit-and-run case one-and-a-half years ago. He was hit by a scooterist while he was on a walk in the Basavanagudi area.
And recently in Indiranagar, four morning walkers died in a freak accident, because it lacks enough parks for people to use while on their morning constitutional.