The war won, park remains a shambles

The war won, park remains a shambles

Rejuvenation of the park is a Herculean task

Bosky Khanna Bangalore

The war against the martyrs' memorial at Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park may have been won. But the victors now stare at a Herculean task—the rejuvenation of the defaced park.
It is a shambles. The contractors, K Damodar & Company, had completed around 80 per cent of the digging work before chief minister BS Yeddyurappa on Thursday ordered stopping of the work, which included felling four trees for the memorial at the 6.10-acre site within the park area.
As per estimates, over Rs2 lakh has been spent for the works so far, the total project cost being Rs12 crore. While environmentalists and residents in the park's neighbourhood, including the petitioners Krishna Apartments Owners' Association, were euphoric on Thursday evening, the mood on Friday was replaced by serious concern for the future of the park. There is danger, too. The huge pits could pose a serious threat to anyone, especially children, drowning if it gets waterlogged after heavy rains.
"Before another Sanjana or Abhishek-like incident occurs here, the state government should fill up the pits and rejuvenate the lost lung space," said secretary of Krishna Apartments Owners' Association Sudhir Pai. Colonel (Retd) Vivek Boppaiah, National Military Memorial Park sub-committee member, said for the park's rejuvenation, first, the contractor will have to be paid the dues, then compensation given for abruptly stopped work, before mobilising the machinery and resources