CUTTACK: Public parks in the Millennium city too have turned mosquito breeding grounds, thank Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).
The civic body’s inaction towards maintenance of the public facilities have converted them into mosquito-friendly marshes with overgrown bushes over the waterlogged ground.
As all the parks have remained shut due to the Covid lockdown, the civic authorities seems to have also stopped all maintenance works.
The grounds are waterlogged in the rains covered with wild bushes that have grown all over.
Absence of regular cleaning has also resulted in decomposed leaves that have dropped from trees and plants, creating an unhygienic atmosphere.
The pathetic condition can be assessed at Gauri Shankar Park situated in the heart of the city. While the park is covered with wild grass, the dustbins with garbage are lying unattended.
Similar situation also prevails at Nehru Park in Mahanadi Vihar, Biren Mitra Park and Biju Patnaik Park in CDA and other parks at Jagatpur and Matagajpur.
There are 29 parks under CMC. Besides permanent staff, the civic body has engaged manpower including gardeners, grass cutters and security guards from two outsourcing agencies for maintenance works. But, their work is not visible.
The civic body, which had reportedly carried out plantation drive during Vana Mahotsav on July 1, claims that plants were trimmed and waste disposed at that time. Deputy Commissioner (Park and Plantation) Ajay Kumar Mohanty said as the parks have remained shut due to the pandemic, the staff responsible for its maintenance were engaged in road cleaning work. The grass and bushes have grown inside the parks within a week due to rainy season.
“We will now clean the parks twice a week,” he said.
CMC inaction
Grounds are waterlogged in rains covered with wild bushes
Dustbins with garbage are lying unattended
No regular cleaning of waste from parks