Hyderabad Public Gardens: City’s pride now a picture of neglect

Hyderabad: The 150-year-old Public Garden remains in a sorry state .Its other iconic structures including Telangana State Archaeology Museum and Lalitha Kala Toranam are also lying utterly neglected. Heritage activists and daily morning walkers have urged the government to develop the garden by providing basic amenities.

A few walkers and activists recalled that the Public Garden-- which is also known as Bagh-e-Aam-- was an oasis in the city, providing an escape from stress and pollution. Unfortunately, it now cries for attention; 3,000 walkers are daily visiting the garden but facing hardship to move freely, as the premises is never swept; it does not have proper basic facilities, including benches, washrooms; the gates are lying broken.

Along with the garden, iconic structures situated on the premises are lying in deplorable condition, specially the Archaeology Museum; it should be immediately restored, they said.

They also recalled that along with a small pond located in the garden, there was the shimmering water of a lake, the gentle trills of birds which used to lift the visitors’ spirits. But now the lake bed dried up with green patches of algae--a distressing sight.

Said Mohammed Abid Ali, environmentalist and social activist, @a visit to the Public Garden was a delight for an art lover, but now, apart from morning walkers, hardly any visitors to there.

The Archaeological Survey of India and the Telangana government are not serious about historical sites in Hyderabad such as the Health Museum, Archaeology Museum and many more in the garden. We don’t why the government is least bothered to restore the garden; many other government parks are well maintained and also have latest facilities, but the Public garden is neglected.”

He said it would be better if the government instructs the concerned departments to start beautification of the Public Garden immediately so that it can remain the oldest and historic park of Hyderabad and doesn’t gets fade away in coming years.

Said Sarwar Pasha, a daily walker,”for the past 40 years I have been visiting the garden for morning walks. Before the State formation it was well maintained but now you can only find grass, unswept pathways, inadequate washrooms. Dogs roaming is a major irritant. There is no separate washroom for women; there is only one pay-and-use bathroom near Jubilee Hall. Hardly there are any facilities; no benches, no play zone for kids’. ‘We are vexed with giving representations to the government to develop the park and also add facilities like an open gym and a play area for children, but nothing has been done’,

According to K Vidhyadhar, another morning walker,“there was a time when the garden was flooded with visitors; many foreigners used to visit, but now hardly anyone comes. Only we walkers visit the garden. All the iconic structures located on the premises, including Archaeology Museum and Lalitha Kala Toranam, are neglected’.

‘A few structures of the museum are lying broken; the Lalitha Kala Toranam is also known as open theatre, where concerts used to be organised, but now everything has faded away.”