Cops not ready for the directive of the Cubbon park even after constant reminders

BENGALURU: It is said on paper that people of  Bengaluru  have entitled free access to Cubbon Park not only on Sundays and on second Saturdays when there are limitations on vehicles, also during public holidays. But the traffic cops are being a wall on a hill. Despite a directive from the chief secretary.

It's been seventeen months since the then chief secretary Subhash Chandra Khuntia had instructed the city police commissioner to make sure that the park is closed for vehicular movement when there are series of holidays. 

These are occasional times like Dasara, Diwali and Ganesha festivities when both the government and private establishments are shut. The directive was to allow the visitors reclaim the entire lung space without any interference. As the traffic is usually less on such occasions, there wouldn’t be much of a headache for the cops as well.

The police, however, have not implemented it despite being repeatedly reminded by the horticulture department, the custodian of the park. “Increased vehicular traffic through the park has not only irked visitors but also posing a threat to the flora there. Pollutants emanating from vehicles and road dust get collected on leaves, interrupting the process of photosynthesis and weakening trees. Sound pollution is another menace,” said a horticulture department official.

He said it’s not a easy task to manage traffic in the central business district (CBD) if the vehicular entry is banned through the park on normal days. “But during festivities, this is possible as there is less movement of vehicles in the city. If the directive is implemented, visitors can get at least 20 more days in a year during which they can enjoy pollution-free walks,” said the official.

Mahantesh Murgod, the deputy director (Cubbon Park), of the horticulture department, said that this year too, they wrote to the police department clearly reminding them about the directive. “We’re yet to get a positive response,” he added.

“Barring Sundays, there’s no let up in traffic in CBD. We had once tried to close traffic through the park on holidays but it did not work. We’ll review the situation again and take appropriate measures,” a traffic police officer said.