Parks neglected; Raja Kaluve covered to park vehicles

Mysore/Mysuru: Vijayanagar 1st Stage, coming under MCC Ward No. 20, is one of the prestigious residential layouts of the city. The layout holds mirror to the issues which are plaguing the residents, like neglected parks, Raja Kaluve, which is filled with garbage and ‘Banuvarada Santhe/ Raitha Santhe’ (Sunday Market/ Farmers’ Market) which is deprived of basic facilities and others.

Kiran, a resident of the area, points towards construction debris dumped behind Saptapadi Kalyana Mantap and rues that despite their repeated pleas to people’s representatives to clear them, nothing has been done till date.

The Raja Kaluve, which connects the road opposite the Stadium and Hunsur Main Road is filled to brim with all sorts of wastes and is completely covered. A few residents have also covered the Raja Kaluve with concrete slabs to park their vehicles and no official has bothered to prevent this.

Citizens expressed their concern about the cleaning of Raja Kaluve to prevent rain water from entering their houses. They have appealed to authorities concerned to prevent these illegal acts and ensure that citizens are not inconvenienced because of the selfish acts of a few.

“Vijayanagar 1st Stage has more than 45 parks and a couple of them are as big as five acres and others are less than two acres. Of these, the MCC has developed just 10 parks. Before the remaining parks are encroached by land grabbers, the authorities must pay attention to develop and maintain these parks. The parks should also be numbered,” says another resident of the area, who added that the grills of the park behind Raghulal Medicals and next to an educational institution have been broken and they should be installed again. Saplings must be planted and nurtured in the area reserved for the park, the resident added.

A storm water drain provided by the authorities in front of Site No. 665, on 7th Main, 9th Cross in Vijayanagar 1st Stage, has been covered and a building is built on it which has affected the flow of rain water. Though we have appealed the authorities repeatedly to clear the building and ensure smooth flow of rain water, nothing has been done in this regard,” said retired Professor of Yuvaraja’s College Dr. Swarnamala Sirsi displaying an old photograph of the drainage on which a building has been built now.

Residents have also urged the authorities to clear garbage, waste and bushes and plants from the drain, provide power to ‘Raitha Santhe’ and open the public toilet built near the Sub-Registrar’s office for public use.