KOLKATA: Facing flak from citizens, health experts and rights groups for its reluctance to open parks, Kolkata Municipal Corporation's mayor-in-council member in charge of parks and squares Debashis Kumar told TOI all parks would revert to pre-Covid times and be open from 6am to 9pm.
“I will hold a meeting with my department officials on Monday and ask them to ensure that all parks stay open through the day. We realise the need for people to use the parks to stay in good health, both physically and mentally. I want to assure citizens that they will not face any hindrance in using parks,” Kumar said on Saturday.
Though the civic body had last week promised to extend the timing, citizens residing in the Rawdon Street-Loudon-Street and adjoining neighbourhoods that have several parks, including Rawdon Square, Nature Park, Victoria Square and Minto Park, were shocked to find all the parks padlocked after 9am. It is following this that TOI contact Kumar, who then assured that parks would be open from Monday.
Former cricketer Devang Gandhi said it was a fantastic development. “This pandemic has left everyone confined to their homes and in a terrible state of health and mind. Being able to go to the neighbourhood park at one’s convenience can do a world of good to people,” he said.
Gandhi was among several citizens who had written an open letter to chief minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding reopening of parks and lakes in the city. While KMDA had extended the timing of Rabindra Sarobar and Subhas Sarobar, some parks maintained by KMC had refused to do so.
Sources said that while some parks had stayed shut because there weren't enough guards to be on duty all day, others said some councillors acted as though the parks were private property.
Green activist Bonani Kakkar, who has been very vocal about the need to reopen for extended hours, emphasised that parks are a matter of rights. “KMC or any councillor should not feel it is dispensing favours. Using excuses such as parks have to be shut during the day so that they can be cleaned is far from the truth as one can see with Rabindra Sarovar being cleaned while people are there. The civic body cannot hold the city to ransom for its internal problems. Life is not about living in fear of the virus and staying cooped at home. It is about freedom in a safe space. Parks are needed to prevent people from getting ill,” she said.
Kakkar had written to KMC commissioner on the issue and also pointed out that the state government order imposing restrictions on January 2, 2022, had mentioned only entertainment parks and not neighbourhood parks but KMC and KMDA had hastily shut all the parks and lakes. The city has around 750 parks, 30% of which are large parks, 50% medium-sized parks and the rest are small parks.
