Attempts for Gol Bagh makeover go in vain in Amritsar

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Amritsar, June 21

As the city grapples with air pollution, dwindling green cover and decreasing open spaces, existing parks are a picture of neglect and apathy.

An attempt to create green spaces in the city by developing and restoring several old parks has again failed to bear fruit despite crores being spent on the beautification over the past four years.

Despite multiple attempts for a makeover, Gol Bagh, one of the oldest parks in the city, fails when it comes to maintenance of public space.

The Gol Bagh had undergone beautification and developed in 2017 under the smart city and HRIDAY projects. A children’s park was created, an open air gym installed and a musical fountain set up in the bagh.

A year or two went by fine with regular maintenance work carried out by the Municipal Corporation (MC) at the bagh. One can again see growth of wild plants and weeds, puddles of standing water, dysfunctional fountains and lights and broken toilets in the park.

Gol Bagh, Company Bagh, Shastri Park and Rose Garden are historic parks.

The bagh has become a breeding ground of mosquitoes due to lack of proper maintenance, curing, trimming and cleaning and poses a risk to health of walkers. A musical fountain show that was earlier started at the bagh for attraction of tourists has also been suspended.

Apart from the lack of maintenance, an increasing number of strays pose a risk to children, who often come to play at the park.

Gol Bagh is opposite to popular Durgiana Temple, which receives significant footfall throughout the year. A good number of tourists are often seen sitting or taking a tour of the park.

The neglect of parks has been highlighted multiple times but the authorities concerned seem to least bothered to act upon the laxity of the maintenance staff.