Lalbagh's certainly no benchmark

Lalbagh's certainly no benchmark

Visitors ask for benches that are neat and sturdy, suggest measures to better the park

Odeal D'Souza. Bangalore



Much is planned, but even routine maintenance of the Lalbagh Botanical Garden seems lacking.
Prakruthi Sharma, a visitor on Wednesday, said, "We come here with our children. While the children are at play, it would be nice to have benches to sit on."
Many of the benches appear in a state of disrepair — the paint has worn off, and many do not quite hold your weight.
Vikram Kumar, another visitor said, "At a park, one would expect to have basic amenities. After all, this is a famous park that draws several visitors. We need proper benches here, drinking water and clean toilets."
Apart from the over 1,000 varieties of flora, Lalbagh is also monumental — commissioned in 1760 by Hyder Ali and spread over 240 acres, it holds an interest for those who would like a taste of history.
Aditi R, who also visited the park on Wednesday, noted that the pond near the rose garden is in need of a sturdy fence. It looks worn out and weak, and cannot quite protect a curious child who might lean against it to peer into the pond, observes Aditi.
The 'green police' keep a watch, so that visitors do not harm the plants. But the personnel are concentrated at one spot at the most important part of the garden, not spread around it as they should be, ideally.
As the holiday season begins, the park will see more and more visitors. This is also the right time of the year to plant fresh saplings, as the rains will nurture them.
N Jayaram, director of horticulture, who took charge in July this year, said, "We are doing our best to keep the park beautiful and clean; we will look into the problems that visitors have." Environmentalist Yellapa Reddy says, "Lalbagh gets visitors from around the world. We need timely and regular maintenance, not just work done in fits and starts."