more-in Park is the place that draws people to their friends for a daily dose of physical activity, engage in their favourite sport, share common interest, build network, connect with nature, spend some quiet moments and even find solutions to overcome workplace challenges. Colony parks have become an inseparable part of residents’ life for a variety of reasons as a majority of them consider it an ideal place to head before their energy-sapping daily schedule takes charge of them. With growing number of fitness enthusiasts preferring to spend a while in the neighbourhood park, the place not only turns into the most sought-after spot for various age groups but also caters to their diverse needs. On weekdays, G. Nagamani, a homemaker at the MMTC Colony, ensures her presence at the neighbourhood park to participate in the Bhagavad Gita classes. “I look forward to this part of the day as I could spend considerable time with my friends, walking and chanting hymns together,” she says. For retired Headmaster M.V. Subba Rao, spending an hour both in the morning and evening at the local park means the world to him. “In the present fast-paced life where people are tangled in a web of unhealthy competition, park lends a sense of comfort and calm as it is where many connect with nature and apply brakes to their otherwise busy lifestyle. Unfortunately, even kids are no exception to the rat race. And parks cater to these age groups too by providing coaching in tennis, badminton and a range of sports thus offering them a respite,” he elaborates. There are 141 colony parks in the GVMC limits and some of them located in the SBI Colony, Peda Waltair and Seethammadhara have been redeveloped in the recent past. “With the active participation of the residents’ welfare associations (RWA), new parks will further be developed at Nehru Nagar, Gangapuri Layout, Lalitha Colony, Madhurawada, Gajuwaka and Vepagunta, Chinnamushidiwada and near Midhilapuri VUDA Colony among other areas with one-third of RWA’s share and two-third of the grant in aid contributed by the GVMC,” explains M. Damodara Rao, Assistant Director (Horticulture) of the GVMC. Following the instructions of Municipal Commissioner M. Hari Narayanan, Mr. Damodara Rao said 25 new parks had been proposed to be developed in 2018-2019 with the RWAs’ support. “Close to 11,052 open spaces have been identified and geo-tagged in Visakhapatnam (GVMC limits) including Anakapalle and Bheemunipatnam, for the development of the proposed parks, each stretching over a minimum area of half an acre to a maximum 4.72 acres,” he adds. In addition to cash crunch that some of the RWAs continue to experience due to the absence of revenue generation, water scarcity is another major problem impacting the park maintenance, particularly in summer. “We have two borewells at the park. But only one is operational. At present, we are able to make do with the municipal water supply which is provided on a daily basis,” says S.K. Rednam, vice-president of the Hill View Park Association. Though some of the parks are able to manage with the municipal water supply, a few others source additional litres to meet the summer needs. Take for instance, Muralinagar. The neighbourhood has five big and a few more medium to small sized parks. Members of the colony association and park play an active role in the upkeep of parks in the neighbourhood and thus set an example for the other RWAs. “Though the GVMC supplies water for about 40 minutes to an hour on a daily basis, additional water tankers are sourced to meet the requirement of the season as five parks that have considerable stretches of greenery need extra attention in summer,” says R. Satyanadham, governor of district 101 Walkers International and advisor of Walkers’ Park, Muralinagar. Vice-president of the MVP Colony Sector-IV RWA P. Venkateswara Rao recommends the use of sprinklers. “Along with pipes, sprinklers are used to water the plants at Prashanthi Park, MVP Colony. This will ensure judicious use of natural resources,” he opines. Based on the list of requirements given by the representatives of the RWAs and the extent of green cover, municipal officials mentioned that extra litres would be facilitated to parks that grapple with acute shortage.

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