Kakinada: Smart City Project funds for beautification of parks

Kakinada: The Kakinada Municipal Corporation (KMC) has been transforming city parks into exquisite spots with the utilisation of Smart City Project (SCP) funds. There are a total of 57 parks in Kakinada division. But, the Central government has taken care of only four parks and made them into beautiful eye-catching parks in the Smart City. Gandhi Nagar and Vivekananda Parks have been turned into lush beautiful gardens. Children are using these parks for playing and the senior citizens for their evening stroll. The gardens have grass with oak and other trees that give shelter to visitors.

Students are seen sitting under the trees while preparing for exams and spending their leisure hours. Smart City Superintendent Engineer Rammohan told 'The Hans India' here on Monday that apart from beautification of parks focus is on statues of national leaders like Abdul Kalam, Dokka Seethamma, Mahatma Gandhi. The statues are installed at pivotal places in the parks. They have also added certain attractive animal statues to offer fun to children. They have earmarked Rs 11.5 crore for Vivekananda Park, Rs 8 crore each to Gandhinagar Park and Boat Club Park, Rs 2 crore to Janmabhoomi Park under Smart City project. He informed that they have entrusted the whole work to Kakinada Municipal Corporation.

The people of the city have been requesting the municipal authorities to uplift remaining 52 parks on the lines of these four parks.

Municipal Corporation Executive Engineer P Satya Kumari said that the Kakinada Municipal Corporation not allotted adequate funds to develop the parks.

In view of ensuing summer and the consequent rise in temperature, the greenery in the parks is likely to wither away. Lions Club Kakinada City Vice-President and RSS activist AVD Menta Rao said that some of the parks suffer from lack of water. He said that people are bitterly criticizing the administration for negligence of the parks.