Peoples Park Going Down The Drain

Despite several public demonstrations to save People's Park, it seems well on its way to ruin. For decades, the park had been encroached by  PU college, tennis club, temple, dargah, private bus stand, etc. but no one paid much attention, least of all, Mysore City Corporation and Mysore Urban Development Authority which should have protected the park. But when a few years ago MCC leased part of the park to build a public library cum commercial complex and a hundred trees were cut, the public rose up in protest and the project was quickly shelved.

But vested interests will always have an eye on such a valuable property at the centre of the city. The property was again given to the Library Authority of the state government to build a public library.

But the original lessees have filed a case in the High Court asserting their claim and hearings are going on. In the meanwhile, the Library Authority has fenced off almost one third of the park (which seems more than the land allotted to it). What is worse, debris are being dumped in this area by MCC and the area has now become a public toilet.

If the government attempts to destroy a park by constructing a building, it can be opposed in the courts quoting Sec. 6 of the Karnataka Parks, Play-fields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Rules, 1985 and stopped. If the government attempts to destroy a park by cutting the trees, it can be opposed in the courts quoting Preservation of Trees Act, 1976 and stopped. But if the government chooses to destroy a park by building fences across it and preventing public access or by dumping debris in the park, legal remedies fail. The only way to prevent such destruction is for the public to stand up repeatedly and protest.

Dr. Bhamy V. Shenoy, Mysore Grahakara Parishat