Despite 8 parks, Model Town sans playground

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 2

Model Town, one of the most posh area in town may boast of having the largest number of well maintained parks, it does not have even a single playground for children to play outdoor games. While many environment friendly welfare societies in order to maintain the ecological balance of their areas have turned majority of the parks into relaxing zones for the mind and body, there is no place left for the children to play outdoor games. Finding no option, they are left with no choice but to play dangerously amongst the fast moving traffic on small roads in front of their houses.

According to Sweta Saran, both her children are budding cricket players but being a single parent she is finding it difficult to take them both to the Burlton Park everyday for practice. “While the government boasts of promoting sports in the state, it failed to even provide a play ground at ward level. What is the fun to have well maintained parks, when our children do not have any place to play outdoors,” said Saran.

According to 11 years old boy studying in a private school at Choti Baradari Ph-II, he does not have any place to play football with his friends. “My school does not have a play ground and neither does my locality,” said the visibly upset child. He further informed that while small children could be seen enjoying swings and elderly could be seen doing Yoga, the area for their physical activity has almost reduced to nil.

When contacted, Aruna Arora, the councillor informed that these parks are being maintained by various environment friendly societies who are maintaining the ecological balance in the area that was ruined by rapid urbanization from the last few years. However when asked for the place for children to play, came the shocking reply, “Where is the time for them to play nowadays when they are under strenuous examination pressure? Also, if someone wants to play, they can play on roads,” said Arora.

While slamming this, Atam Parkash Singh, Former President Gurudwara Model Town said that the playgrounds nowadays have been turned into wellness spots to relax mind and body.

“Earlier, Punjab used to excel in sports as there were playgrounds in every village and mohallas. Nowadays, with the urbanization, the number of playgrounds has almost reduced to nil as majority of them were turned into wellness parks,” said Singh. He also said that there is a dire need to maintain equilibrium between the number of playgrounds and parks to keep the youths away from the deadly menace of drugs.

In the absence of a clear cut policy to differentiate between playgrounds and parks in an area, the Municipal Corporation is helpless to provide any redressal to the grievances raised by the Model town residents especially their children.

Even though, it is helpless, it can further put the area under scrutiny so that no further beautification of parks takes place in the area that could preclude many more children of their right to freedom.