State of parks: Park in Sodal area is a picture of government apathy

Aparna Banerji

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Jalandhar, June 18

While the famous Sodal Mela in Jalandhar attracts devotees from all over the country, a once verdant park right behind the Sidh Baba Sodal Mandir is a picture of complete apathy. While millions are pooled in for religious devotion every year a 90 x 90 feet park which can be verdant paradise for the children and students in the area, has been ignored and forgotten.

Broken swings, dishevelled pathways, overgrown grass, decimated walkways, uprooted interlocking tile floors (of the walkways), toppled benches and garbage strewn generously on the premises, this is the site that greets the visitors who enter the park at Sidh Baba Sodal Mohalla in Jalandhar.

Constructed years ago with love and care, the ruin in the park began about two years ago. It was earlier a sigh of relief with manicured lawns and maintained swings where cheery children spent happy evenings and the pathways served as a decent site for evening walkers.

However, trouble began when the payments of the park mali (gardener) stopped coming, eventually turning the place into a sorry ruin. To top it all, hired swings are set up on the site every year during the Sodal Mela, which has caused significant damage to grass and the park is a garbage laden site due to the swing operators’ reluctance to clean it up after the mela.

The damage to the grounds is evident from overgrown grass and balding patches interspersed together on the same premises.

Rajan Sharda, sewadar at the Sodal Temple said, “The park used to be very beautiful but has paid the price for eventual apathy. At a nearby other park, trees were uprooted and sold for profit, for which mohalla people also lodged an FIR. On this, the profit making happens during the mela when all kinds of jhoolas (swings) are erected. The rush and crowds damaged the park and its lawns. The benches and swings are all broken. It was otherwise a decent place for children. The park can only be saved if a residential society or the MC takes up its upkeep. Presently, no one’s interested.”

Rajesh Kumar, a resident of the Shri Sidh Baba Sodal Mohalla said, “Two years ago it was a beautiful place. A former councillor took much interest in its maintenance and used to pay the mali. Trouble began when the former mali’s payments stopped. Since then, no one has bothered. It’s same for the other parks in the region. If residents or do-gooders keep staff payments coming then its fine.