Corroded gates, piling litter: Bengaluru playgrounds show years of neglect

Bengaluru: As a 11-year-old boy died after being crushed under the falling iron gates of a Malleswaram park on Sunday, the focus is now on persistent neglect of public infrastructure, especially parks and playgrounds maintained by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP).

The incident occurred at Rajashankar Park (Kulla Park), where the large gate fell on the boy and crushed him. The gate has since been removed, but the entrance remains unrepaired.

Local residents said they had complained about the gate's poor condition multiple times, yet the BBMP failed to address the issue.

When DH visited a few playgrounds on Monday, citizens told us that the neglect of parks and playground maintenance has been persisting for a long time.

At a BBMP playground on Rajajinagar's 19th H Cross Road, for example, only one of two gates was functioning, and children reported that the iron fencing had been removed during the Ganesha festival.

Similar conditions were found at Colonel Vasanth Playground in Vyalikaval, where corroded gates and litter posed safety hazards.

While public parks often have security personnel, there is no round-the-clock supervision of playgrounds maintained by the civic body.

The playground in HAL 3rd Stage has also been neglected, with garbage left uncollected behind the stadium for several months, and the gate showing signs of weakness.

Despite attracting a diverse crowd, including children and seniors, regular maintenance is lacking.

The civic body allocates only a tiny portion of its annual budget for playground maintenance, and, while some receive additional grants for infrastructure improvements, the BBMP's projects cell lacks sufficient staff at the ward level to oversee these facilities.

Eyes donated

The family of Niranjan, the 11-year-old boy crushed under the Rajashankar Park’s fallen gate on Sunday, has decided to donate his eyes. The boy’s father, Vijay, communicated this decision to those concerened.