A Municipal Park

Importance of parks in a big city

Big cities are often very congested. They are a conglomeration of very lofty buildings. The streets are often narrow where one can hardly take a long, healthy breath.

Moreover, pollution is the bane of almost all big cities. The number of vehicles on the roads is so large that one sometimes feels like God has created for one only strangulating petrol and diesel smoky fumes to breathe.

Court’s orders

Now, the courts, such as the Supreme Court in the case of Delhi, have taken certain steps which are sometimes nicknamed a part of judicial activism. As a part of these steps, now, all buses and auto vehicles have to be run on CNG instead of petrol or diesel. Even in private cars, only unleaded petrol has to be used. A large number of chemical factories have been shifted from Delhi to places outside the city.

In spite of all this, the pollution menace cannot be deemed to have been altogether removed. It perhaps can never be keeping in view of the huge population of metropolises like Delhi. At least, in the streets and lanes, one longs for a whiff of fresh air and cool breeze.

It is this urgency that brings to the surface the overwhelming importance of parks in such a city as Delhi. In most cities, parks are rightly called the lungs of the city.

Purpose and benefits

Needless, now, to say that I live in Delhi. I live in one of the most congested areas of old Delhi. But this area has one redeeming feature. It is that it has spots of lush green parks here and there.

There is a big park near my house. It is at the end of our street. I go there for a walk daily in the morning and sometimes in the evening also.

The park is situated near the crossing. Thus there is a lot of open space in the area which ensures fresh air to breathe for one and all who may care to go there to share this free heavenly bliss.

The park has two gates in the opposite sides. It is a rectangular park and on the other two sides, there are no gates. One gate opens on a road and the other in a street.

I often go by the gate that opens on the road. There is not much traffic on this road. Still, one has to be very careful while entering or coming out of the park.

The park is divided into four sections. One section is meant for ladies. The second section is meant for children, the third one for senior citizens, and the fourth for youth and others. However, there is not many restrictions in going from one section to the other except for the ladies section.

Two gardeners are always busy in watering the plants, cutting the grass or pruning the hedges. They are very polite with all. They never speak in a rude or authoritative manner. They are never aggressive and they have to assert forcefully only rarely. They tell all the visitors to sit or move about quietly and talk only in a low tone. They are very strict in certain matters. For example, they do not allow anybody to drink, smoke or gamble in the park, or to litter it with rubbish. Still, it is only very rarely that they have to report the matter to the higher municipal authorities if a particular visitor is too impudent to listen to them or heed to the advice notices contained in the boardings and notices affixed at a number of places in the park.

The park has very beautiful flower beds on all four sides near the boundary line which comprise fascinating flowery plants of different hues. There are only lofty shady trees on the sides and along the flower beds, a large number of cemented and steel benches are fixed for the visitors to sit if they like. There is clean green grass all along to walk on it as they would have the mind to do. There is also a narrow red pavement along the sides for the athletes and others to run jog or walk as they might be going to do.

In the middle of the park, there is a lofty fountain which is almost playing. It is situated in a circular structure which has many smaller fountains on the sides. At night attractive colorful bulbs enhance the beauty of the water sprinkling in spouts from the fountains.

On all four sides, there are lofty high-watt bulbs and all along the sides, there are fluorescent tubes. All these together make a charming spectacle at night.

Early in the morning, I have a walk on the pavement. I also do jogging for some time. There is a small fish aquarium which is situated on one of the corners of the park. I never fail to visit it. I also take some exercise in the park.

In the children’s section, there are several devices fixed for their play, exercise and amusement. They enjoy swinging on the swings the most. Some people read newspapers in the park. Old man tells their experiences. Indeed, it is a very beautiful park.