Garden Audit: Ignored by BMC, this Mulund park is maintained by local citizens

Dr CD Deshmukh Udyan in Mulund East is 25 years old and plagued by several problems PicsDatta KumbharMulund East residents pool in money every month to fix whatever needs fixing one at a time at the Dr CD Deshmukh Udyan on Mahatma Phule road No its not a private space its very much owned by the civic body But the corporation is too busy doing nothing to have time to spare for the gardens maintenanceOn their ownWhen midday visited the park in Mulund we found the source of vandalism and the reason it has been unchecked mdash old security guards who are not up to the task of taking miscreants who go on a rampage damaging gym equipment music system and other infrastructure there to task Residents have repeatedly complained to the ward officer and local corporator listing all the problems they continue to face but havent got any help so far So they have united and do whatever they can to make the place safe and useful for visitorsResidents have gotten the gym equipment fixed with their own moneyAside from most of the equipment being in a nonfunctional condition one of the two water fountains on the premises also has been lying defunct Sixtyyearold Nagesh Madaye who regularly visits the garden in the mornings said A lot of equipment was installed in the garden recently in order to beautify it But authorities simply brought it and left it no one is bothering to do maintenanceNo thought was given to the setup of the music system there should have been some fencing or barricades It now lies ruined courtesy vandals Also there is no provision to protect the different equipment from rain neither has anyone bothered to come and clean or repair whatever has been damaged due to waterCallous civic bodyThose who work out in the garden have been getting the gym equipment repaired with their own money The exercise machines installed in the garden are old We had sent letters of request to the contractor and corporator to repair them but no one came forward So each one of us contributed Rs 100 every month to call a repairman and fix the equipment one by one said S B Koyande who regularly exercises thereVisitors who bring their kids are unhappy with canoodling couples found there all dayAuthorities have also created an area for skaters but not everyone knows how to skate and theres no trainer So the children who do know use it sometimes otherwise it lies abandonedJotsna Mahadik who visits the garden every evening with her children also pointed to the absence of a PSA system Though there are loudspeakers there is no mike Had that been there it would have been easy to make important announcements whenever the need arose Two days ago a sixyearold boy got lost in the garden While his mother was searching for him a senior citizen found him crying and took him to search for his mother When I went to the security desk to make an announcement on this the guard said he didnt know how to do it Later he admitted there was no mic Residents and visitors have been spending their own money for basic amenities What on earth is the BMC doing she fumedOfficialspeakCorporator Rajani Keni said The equipment in this garden is not in the best of state because people dont use it properly We have been working to improve this space Also I refute the allegation that we havent taken care of the equipment in monsoon I inspect the garden once a monthAlso read midday Garden Audit Santacruzs Muktanand Garden has gone downhill since BMC took overCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates