Two gardens run by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) — Ramchandra Keshav Taware Udyan and Hanumant Suryabhan Harnaval Udyan — near Mitra Mandal Chowk in Pune's Parvati have fallen into a state of disrepair due to the neglect by the civic body. The gross negligence of these two gardens, which are opposite each other, has turned them into hotspots for drunkards and drug addicts. Residents of the area allege that the absence of security guards and cleaning staff has led to the gardens being used for illegal activities.
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The Free Press Journal visited these two gardens and found that the lack of surveillance has encouraged individuals to openly consume alcohol and engage in illicit activities within the confines of the gardens. Evidence of this is strewn across the garden, with discarded beer bottles, cigarette packets, chip wrappers, and plastic containers littering the area. Just at the entrance gates of the gardens, multiple beer bottles were found dumped openly.
Ankit Shukla
Ankit Shukla
Ankit Shukla
Residents fear that if swift action is not taken, these once-cherished gardens, known for their beauty and serenity, will continue to spiral into further decay, posing a threat to public safety.
Omkar Shinde, a resident, said, "There have been no security guards posted for the past few months, leading to an increase in illegal activities." "Drunkards and drug addicts enter the gardens from the front gate as no one is present to stop them. If the gate is locked, they simply jump over it and easily enter in the garden. This is the scene throughout the day and not just at night," he added.
Another resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The absence of cleaning staff is also a major issue here. The beer bottles and cigarette packets present on the ground clearly show the absence of cleaning staff as well as the complete negligence of civic body."
Meanwhile, speaking to the FPJ, Ashok Ghorpade, Head of Garden Department, PMC, said, "Security staff has been deployed in both gardens. We will instruct the in-charge of the particular gardens to investigate the matter. Accordingly, action will be taken."
