GHAZIABAD: A medicinal herb park here, maintained by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), is being ruined by a private marriage function and officials, despite assurances of action, are yet to take any preventive steps.
The park is incidentally right in front of the GDA vice chairman V.K. Yadav's residence, while the organisers live barely 50 metres away, facing another corner.
The organisers, who were not present at the site, have directed the contractor to install tents in the park thus damaging the plants there.
Park security guard Ram Prasad said he was asked to keep mum when he tried to stop the contractor's men from digging holes in the park. The GDA officers were apprised but no one turned till the evening, while the installation work has been going on throughout the day.
"The only such park in northern India after one in Lucknow and at the Rashtrapati Bhavan is a precious one. A private function of any kind in the parks is prohibited but this park is very important in view of environment angle. Several types of herbal medicines are nurtured in this park. So it is the blatant apathy of the local authority to allow such function to held in this park," said local environmentalist Akash Vashishtha.
GDA horticulture officer S.P. Sisodia said: "This park is a hub of medicinal plants which includes kalp brakshha, guggal, rudrakhha, sarpgandha, aswagandha, kaal megh and lemongrass. Any private function in the park is prohibited."
The GDA vice chairman could not be available for comments but Sisodia said that he is away to Gurgaon, but will not allow the function to happen after reaching Ghaziabad because it is not allowed under rules.
But the installation was function was continuing till the filing of this report.