Lately, I have started to notice that among the 9 parks in GK2 there is one particular park that is getting more time and attention from the MCD horticulture depart-ment. All the other parks have literally been left to the dogs.
This park has 4 gardeners who are working diligently on the flower beds and the grass. One person is sweeping the track and clearing up the dustbins. There are Shehtoot/Mulberry trees that have been literally butchered in the name of pruning, to the extent that they are beyond recognition till they grow new leaves. These are pruned every year, just before the fruiting season. I have grown up seeing them produce the most amazing crop of Shehtoot/Mulberry. Why have the birds and humans been devoid of this pure gift from nature in the last 7-8 years?
This park has also been gifted huge heaps of manure and fresh soil that are going to be used for the sprucing up and filling up of the burrows. Many times, one can spot the person in charge of the MCD horticulture department responsible for GK2, supervising this work personally. My question is why are the other parks of our colony being treated as the stepchildren of the MCD horticulture department? Are they not under the same management? Are they not being used by our fellow residents? Who rules the roost to manage getting all this done for one particular park? What is special about the gentry that visits here that requires this special pampering?
These ‘Stepchildren’ parks have no appointed gardeners or cleaners. No equipment is provided for by the department, not even a basic ‘jharoo’. The grass and trees can grow wild and disarrayed yet nobody is willing to do anything about the maintenance there. The plants could be without manure and water and the park could be littered, the track covered with leaves and the dustbins could be overflowing. Residents who are looking after each of these particular parks contribute to hiring gardeners to work in them. They even go to the extent of buying seeds, saplings, manure, gardening equipment, etc for these parks.
Another thing that is playing on my mind is that We, the residents, are not even allowed to prune the trees in and around our premises of more than 6 cm even if they are posing a risk to the building or its residents and here, in and around this special park they are being made bare to disappointing levels.
