Yours Greenly at work at HAL III Stage

Yours Greenly at work at HAL III Stage

Posters of deities, letters to authorities to save this neighbourhood park

Shilpa CB. Bangalore



What might have been a green space, abuzz with the games children play, is instead a garbage dump and toilet. The space at the 4th Main, 8th Cross, HAL III Stage, is like many other parks gone to seed in the city; however, Supriya Sehgal and Lakshmi Vijaykumar, youngsters and residents of the area, won't rest till they have got the park back. They work under the name Yours Greenly.
To keep 'nuisance' creators at bay, the two have put up posters of deities. "We collected about Rs750. We got 15 posters printed, with 'Do not throw garbage or urinate here' written at the bottom," Sehgal says. However, those urinating here or dumping garbage have not been deterred by the posters.
"I once grabbed hold of the collar of a teenager who was urinating here. But how many people can we go catching?" Sehgal asks. And then there is the fear that they might provoke nasty elements. "A resident of the house opposite the park once shouted at a man urinating. That night, the window panes of the house were broken," she recalls.
Sehgal and Vijaykumar have sought the help of the local MLA, who lives nearby. They have attempted to reach the newly-elected corporator in the area. They have called the BBMP helpline several times. The two have started a Facebook page for the purpose; they have been speaking to Trees for Free, for help to green the area. They will leave no stone unturned.
KJR Panicker, a resident of the BDA layout created here in 1975, can recall a time when the space was really a park. BT Jagannath, a resident, recalls, "There was a time when the park was a favourite spot for children and the elderly. There used to be a resident called Muniraj, who locked the park each day and kept it open for certain designated hours. He was a sort of caretaker. Ever since Muniraj moved out, the park has gone to seed." But it will be restored, yet, if Sehgal and Vijaykumar can find a way.