Biodiversity park a victim of MC apathy

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, May 24

The biodiversity park near Tank No. 4 on the premises of Joggers’ Park is in a deplorable condition and crying for the attention of the civic body authorities.

It was the brain child of the then ADC, Shenna Aggarwal, and the civic body and Forest Department had set up the park in empty space at Joggers Park a few months ago.

The then DFO, Harbhajan Singh, had planted hundreds of medicinal, ornamental, fruit and timber saplings while assuring that they would upkeep these for a year. Later, the responsibly of up keeping these was handed over to the MC.

Besides, the then MC Commissioner, Sanyam Aggarwal, had assured that they would install signboards so that people could recognise the planted saplings.

However, the project seems to have hit a roadblock after the transfer of these officials.

Now, weeds have grown in the biodiversity park and a cricket pitch has come up right in the middle.

People visiting Joggers’ Park flayed the lax attitude of the authorities concerned.

Mohinder Kumar, a gardener at Joggers’ Park, said, “I feel very sad when I see the condition of the costly saplings planted here. I have apprised the senior officials time and again of the saplings planted here, but to no avail. Most of the saplings here are either dead or are about to die.”

When contacted, MC Commissioner Rishi Pal Singh and DFO Amritpal Singh Brar said they were not aware of the biodiversity park. But, the officers assured that they would look into the matter and initiate necessary measures.