Amid poor upkeep, Karnal green belts cut a sorry figure

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, March 14

Once pristine green belts in the city are now in a state of neglect, drawing the ire of residents who decry the deteriorating condition of public spaces. Walking tracks are lying broken, swings are broken, boundary grills are missing at various places and there is a general lack of cleanliness, painting a grim picture of the state of affairs.

RESIDENTS’ GROUSE

• Walking tracks broken
• Uneven growth of bushes
• Lights non-functional
• Boundry grills missing
• Debris from repair works not cleared
• General lack of cleanliness

Were once city’s pride

Green belts along the National Highway-44 were once the pride of the city, but now these are in a pathetic condition — Rajesh Sharma, President

Adding to the woes of walkers, who visit these in mornings and evenings, is the uneven growth of bushes. Trenches between green belts and the National Highway-44, raise safety concerns for pedestrians and commuters.

Green belts in Sectors 6, 13, 14 and Atal Park, among other areas, are in poor condition. Residents accuse the authorities of being apathetic about the maintenance of these parks. They said that earlier, these green belts were in a good condition and thus, bustling with activity.

“Green belts along the National Highway-44 were once the pride of the city, but now these are in a pathetic condition. Broken tracks, missing grills and rampant littering present an ugly picture. We have raised the issue with the authorities, but to no avail,” said Rajesh Sharma, a local resident.

Streetlights have been non-functional for several months and debris after repair work is yet to be cleared, depicting poor management of affairs,” said Sanjay Sharma, another resident.

On the other hand, the authorities claimed that a budget of around Rs 1 crore had been passed for works in the Sector 6 green belt and a budget of Rs 2.2 crore had been passed for works in the parks of Sector 13 and 14, besides Atal Park. Tenders have been floated.

Dinesh Kamboj, SDO, Horticulture Wing of the HSVP, said after the approval of the estimate, tenders had been floated and the work would start soon to repair pathways and walls, to install grills and for other works. The JEs have been told to maintain cleanliness, he said.

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