Sir,

The Lava Kusha Park in Kuvempunagar is popular among all categories of people for  walking, exercising or for just relaxing in morning and evening hours. But for the last two weeks, it has been converted into a chaotic place thanks to a couple of actions initiated by our Ward Corporator.

It started with pulling down of the old gates and fencing and initiating the construction of a new fencing, higher than the old by four feet or so. We the users of the park do not understand why a park needed this higher fencing when the old one had served us pretty well for long years.

 A typical example of wasteful expenditure. The debris still lies inside the park for the last two weeks and meanwhile we have the company of cattle and dogs to entertain us!

While we were reconciling with the problem of fencing, we received a second shock  when we saw mounds of red clay soil dumped all over the outer walking track which used to be a natural mud surface over a length of over 400m, a unique Lava Kusha Park facility. 

If this was meant to cover the stones that were exposed over the years by long usage, why select the red clay soil which is an absolute disaster as a walking/jogging track surface? All that was required was a gravel cover over the old track to cover the stones and make it good.

The Corporator doesn’t seem to feel the need to get feedback from the users of the facility before undertaking a work that affects them, nor does he pick up the phone when called.

Now that the clay soil is dumped unevenly and unscientifically, it needs to be spread evenly and rolled effectively first and then has to be covered by gravel or M-sand and rolled again to make the track reusable.

A clay soil, when it comes into contact with water will be slushy and extremely slippery and will be a danger to all users, especially senior citizens who form the majority of users. 

Whatever steps are required have to be taken without delay because the inner track of interlocking tiles is uneven and in any case, not desirable for regular walking or jogging. We have already been forced to come on the roads for our daily walk.

– Prof. ASR Rao, Kuvempunagar, 21.10.2023

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