Citizens’ demand met: Bengaluru’s 1,200 parks to remain open 17 hours a day
Citizens' demand met: Bengaluru's 1,200 parks to remain open 17 hours a day
In a significant move to enhance public access to green spaces, all 1,200 neighbourhood parks in Bengaluru will now be open from 5 am to 10 pm, totalling 17 hours a day. Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar announced this change on Tuesday, addressing a long-standing demand from citizens.
Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru development portfolio, has directed the municipal body to repair dysfunctional street lights and deploy security personnel to guard these open spaces. “Parks are currently open during certain hours of the day. There was a request to keep these public places open even in the afternoon. Parks used to be open only from 5 am to 10 am and from 1:30 pm to 8 pm. Henceforth, all parks will remain open from 5 am to 10 pm,” he stated.
The decision to extend park hours comes in response to public requests and counters the BBMP’s previous argument that extended hours could lead to anti-social activities. Despite concerns that students might skip classes to spend time in the parks, Shivakumar dismissed these worries, noting the benefits for working individuals who were previously unable to use the parks due to limited hours. He humorously responded to a reporter’s concern about misuse by saying, “When you were young, I do not know what you were doing.”
To ensure safety, Shivakumar promised to fix dysfunctional streetlights and mentioned that cameras have been installed at park entrances.
Additionally, Shivakumar launched a mapathon initiative where the BBMP aims to involve local community members in identifying potential green spaces on empty sites. “A pilot is currently being conducted in the Bommanahalli zone. We will publish more details on the BBMP website soon,” he said. Regarding the ongoing tree census, he reported that 94,000 trees have been enumerated so far in two wards of the Bommanahalli Zone, with the survey expected to be completed by the end of the year. The BBMP also plans to engage more schools and children in its goal of planting two lakh saplings this year, following the planting of 52,000 saplings last year with the involvement of 250 schools.
