Tree guards missing in park

Tree guards around the saplings planted as part of green drive around Lakshman Rao Park (5th Main) are missing in many places and some are skewed after being hit by vehicles which in turn have brought down the saplings.

Lakshman Rao Park is busy during mornings and evenings with people walking and jogging in and around the park and 5th Main is filled with vehicles of those who come to take a stroll. But, while doing so, the vehicles either hit the protective tree guards or over run over the saplings. This has skewed the tree guards and the saplings. The result is that, out of 24 saplings planted on a stretch of 5th Main, only 17 have survived!
Many bamboo tree guards placed by BBMP in order to protect the sapling are missing from the sight. A few irresponsible citizens pick them up for their personal use. Bamboo being bio degradable and delicate, it cannot sustain for long, and as a result, many tree guards have collapsed and in turn have taken down the sapling along with them. This has uprooted a few and left others to face the test of time. But, if the saplings are protected with metal tree guards, the saplings will grow healthy. A senior couple at park, Gupta and his wife, felt that the park is not maintained well and said: "This is an old and the best park in Bangalore. It is agonizing to see how saplings are neglected. The public and authorities need to take equal interest in developing their park. There is no one to complain and we don't know whom to. I request the Corporation to keep a duty bound watchman to check vehicles from being parked on the sapling."
Yet again, the park side is used as a dumping yard, and "paurakarmikas" too burn garbage at the site. One particular tree guard along with the sapling was a victim to this practice. Residents dump construction materials at the foot of the saplings, hampering their growth. Yet a few senior citizens have taken steps to water the plants and even advise those who harm the sapling not to do so. Rajashekaran, a senior citizen, said: "The park vicinity is not at all respected. After Metro has started, Lakshman Rao Park does not look the same. People just throw garbage and debris on park side, because it is not their property. If CCTV cameras are installed at one point, then such miscreants can be caught. There is no proper supervision from the Health Department, which can be sighted as main reason for many saplings to die off."  
A sustained civic responsibility by residents, park users and watchful eyes of the authorities is the call of the day in order help BBMP's effort in bringing back the lost glory of Lakshman Rao Park and make Jayanagar a greener place.
When Cityplus contacted Crporator B Somashekar (ward 179), he said: "It is a combined effort and responsibility of the public and BBMP. Parking vehicles on top of the saplings, hitting the tree guard while parking, dumping garbage, etc. should not be done. In some other places, residents water the plants. At least pouring waste water on the saplings in front of your house can be done. If each resident does this, all saplings planted by BBMP will one day become trees and serve as shade to all. In a few days, we are also installing metal tree guards to protect the saplings, as we have realized bamboo tree guards are not serving the purpose."

--CITYPLUS NEWSDESK