Ratia, May 21: Led by Satpal Mangla, President of the Model Town Residents' Welfare Association, a delegation met with Municipal Secretary Shubham Badal to draw his attention to the dilapidated condition of the five parks located in Model Town and the severe lack of basic amenities within them. The delegation demanded that these issues be resolved swiftly and on a priority basis, in the interest of the public.
Members of the delegation—including Vinod Jain, Ashok Garg, Ramkumar Mehta, Suresh Mangla, Amit Goyal, and Vicky Singla—stated that the condition of these parks, which are utilized daily by hundreds of local residents, children, and senior citizens, is extremely deplorable. The main entrance gate of the park situated near Mother India School has completely collapsed, thereby compromising security arrangements. In all the parks, the swings and play equipment for children are in a dilapidated state, and most of the benches installed for seating and relaxation are broken and rendered unusable.
Due to the absence of a proper piping system for watering the plants, the greenery within the parks is withering away. The footpaths are broken at various spots, causing immense difficulty for the elderly and children in navigating the area. The boundary walls of all five parks are relatively low in height, and their plaster has peeled off in several places. Furthermore, the lack of adequate dustbins has resulted in heaps of garbage accumulating all around the parks.
Due to the absence of painting and maintenance work over a prolonged period, the aesthetic appeal of the parks has faded significantly. Most of the streetlights are non-functional, and in several areas, there is a complete lack of lighting; consequently, as evening falls, the parks plunge into pitch darkness, creating an atmosphere of insecurity. Expressing deep concern, the Association stated that these adverse conditions are severely compromising the cleanliness, beauty, and security of the parks.
The residents of the area—particularly children, the elderly, and women—are being forced to endure immense inconvenience on a daily basis. Municipal Secretary Shubham Badal assured the delegation that, taking the citizens' concerns seriously, prompt and effective action would be taken on all points so that the residents of Model Town could be provided with the facility of clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing parks as soon as possible.