Village turns garbage dumps into green parks

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 11

You may have seen beautiful and lush green parks with proper facilities in various cities, but Bhokhra village, on the outskirts of Bathinda, boasts of not one, but six such parks, all due to the concerted efforts of villagers who have converted garbage dumping grounds into attractive green spaces in the past four years. 

Started in 2014, the campaign to turn vacant panchayat land into parks has not only given new and clean look to the village but has also increased the green cover. 

Each of these parks in the village covers around two to four kanals. Of the total 3,000 acres in the village, around 2.5 acres is under the parks. 

The village panchayat has spent money from its own funds to bring up these parks, constructing boundary wall, laying interlocking tiles, fixing benches for sitting and planting saplings. 

Village youths came together to design these parks on the lines of parks in Chandigarh. Presently, there are six parks in the village while three more are on the anvil. 

Jagmeet Singh Brar, a village youth, said the people from other villages visit Bhokhra to see these parks. 

Panchayats from other villages frequently ask questions on developing similar parks in their villages, he said, adding that a village could be transformed only when all panchayat members and villagers work unanimously. 

He said the panchayat had also installed 100 solar lights in the village, which also had proper sewerage system in place. 

The village panchayat struck gold when a four-lane Bathinda-Amritsar highway passed through it, as it received Rs 5.5 crore from the NHAI that acquired its shamlat land for the purpose. 

Village sarpanch Mahinder Kaur said the panchayat also benefited a lot from the construction of the Central Jail, as another 28 acres of its land was acquired for it. All this facilitated funding for the development works in the village, she added. 

Appreciating the efforts of villagers, Deputy Commissioner Diprava Lakra said more villages should adopt this strategy and ensure clean and green environment. 

Bhokhra is an example for others to follow as villagers have themselves taken the initiative and have come out with excellent results, he added.

District Development and Panchayat Officer Rajinder Singh Jassal and BDPO Kavita Garg said village sarpanch Mahinder Kaur’s son Jagmeet Singh Brar, nambardar Baljinder Singh, panchayat secretary Arvind Garg and other villagers had worked hard in bringing up these parks.