Kakinada Striving For Swachh Survekshan Ranks Sans Greenery In Parks
Such a sorry state of affairs is a sad reflection, particularly when the Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) is striving to excel in the Swachh Survekshan drive of the central government: Reports
KAKINADA: Parks in the Kakinada city present a dismal scenario with no greenery, damaged walking tracks and minus play equipment for children. Wherever there is such equipment, it is non-functional. Garbage around the parks is aplenty.
Such a sorry state of affairs is a sad reflection, particularly when the Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) is striving to excel in the Swachh Survekshan drive of the central government.
Municipal personnel are focusing more on Swachh Survekshan or on collecting property taxes. Sources say hardly any money is being spent on maintenance of parks. On top of it, the corporation has to pay more than ₹100 crore to contractors for the works executed in the city.
There are nearly 24 major parks in the city, of which nearly 15 are in bad shape.
Officials disclose that there is no money with the corporation to even water the plants or pay salaries to watchmen.
Parks near the camp office of Kakinada Lok Sabha member T. Uday Srinivas in Vidyutnagar and near the house of Kakinada MLA Vanamadi Venkarteswara Rao look more like dry lands.
Amid criticism, KMC has appealed to people to come forward and pay for maintenance of the parks under the P4 scheme introduced by the state government.
Better Kakinada president A.P.J. Vinu pointed out that parks produce oxygen and should be presentable for people to have a good time. For families and children, they are a place of entertainment.
Vinu lamented that instead of developing greenery, concrete structures are coming up in the name of yoga centres, which is not a good trend when the essence of a park is lost.
