Maintenance of Biodiversity Park in shambles

Gurugram: For a city where viewing greenery is now becoming more of a luxury, the 600 acres Biodiversity Park was a unique initiative of public-private participation that is just zero kilometres from Delhi.

More than 14 multinational companies had funded the project.

However, seven years after its first conceptualisation the maintenance is now falling apart.

Since 2010, there have been no plantations initiated by Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the responsibility has been entrusted upon a private organisation.

While there have been complaints of the falling greenery, there have also been grievances shared of broken footpaths, and seats at the park.

A perfect opportunity of enhancing the park into a famous tourist spot has further taken a jolt with various forms of entertainment zones and restaurants that were initially planned having not come up.

The project that was seen to be the beginning of a successful public private partnership in the city is now on the verge of collapse.

Certain councillors of the MCG have expressed the views of the public agency taking over the park.

Meanwhile, the residents who view the park as one of the last resorts of maintenance of greenery in the city highlight that lack of development of park will be final act of land mafia taking over the city.

"We all know about the situation of Aravallis in the city and in the state. Before 2008 this 600 acre area was a barren land of Aravallis till the corporate in the city came along and funded the project of planting exotic species of trees in the area.

"What could have been a perfect opportunity to enhance greenery has been wasted due to public apathy. This must be prevented," said Ritu Narang, a city resident.