Basic amenities elude historic Gol Bagh

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, June 25

Historic Gol bagh is a picture of neglect and apathy. All basic amenities, including lights, sewerage drains, swings, slide and see saw in its children park are out of order. The list of deplorable infrastructure is long.

Many lights in the park are non functional, leaving visitors, especially women with children, in a lurch. Surbhi Arora, a resident of Nawi Abadi, said she regularly visited Gol Bagh along with her children. She said, “When it begins to get dark she wants to leave the park as early as possible as hardly any light functions. It leaves the entire area vulnerable, she remarked.”

Gol Bagh is said to have hosted several anti-British rallies before the Independence. Though central ground of the park has been beautifully landscaped with ornamental flowers and trees, out of order fountain reflects poor maintenance of the place by the authorities.

Left and right portions of the central garden, which have hardly any greenery, are lying unused. Similar is the condition of the rear side of the bagh.

The unused area of the park has become a haven for anti-social elements, beggars and rag pickers. Some of them have even raised shanties inside the park.

The development work in the park was carried under the grant of Rs 50 lakh, sanctioned by Laxmi Kanta Chawla from her discretionary funds during her tenure as a minister in the previous term of the SAD-BJP government.

Punjab’s first herbal garden was opened in a part of Gol Bagh in 2010. Now, its boundary wall has been demolished at many places. Also, plants from the herbal garden have gone missing. As many as 30 saplings of kachnar, brahmi, amaltas, amla, vasa and kawargandal were planted for improving the quality of air in the park. These plants are widely used in preparing Ayurvedic medicines.

A senior citizen Suraj Prakash said fresh air from herbal trees was ephemeral like previous ones. He said another problem was of poor drainage system. He added that even a slight shower was enough to turn the place into a pool.

Gol Bagh stands close to the densely populated walled city. Children from narrow lanes use the park for various recreational activities. All equipment at the park lies broken. Boundary wall of the park has been demolished at many places. The people have even dumped garbage inside park.

When contacted Mayor, Bakshi Ram Arora, said he would ask the department concerned in the Municipal Corporation to take corrective steps.