Sunday, 26th Jan, I planned to visit Lalbagh to see the Flower Show (Since my parents were here, so thought of showing them one of the special shows which happens twice a year in Bangalore).
From the flowers side, from the decoration side, from the management side, it was all great. From the managment side, yes a few more things could have been done to make the event even better, even more environment friendly, but I feel, gradually we can reach there, if our civic bodies would like to do so.
As I had read in the newspapers that parking for private vehicles had to be done at JC Road BBMP multi-story parking, or at Double road TTMC parking lot. I reached TTMC. Now the first problem... There is no median on the road coming from wilson garden to TTMC, from where mostly all the buses come and enter TTMC. Incoming and Outgoing buses with all other kinds of traffic make a mess out there. Another example of Bangalore, where authorities, BBMP, BMTC and BTP haven't co-ordinated among themselves to have a hurdle free scenario there.
After reaching TTMC, was at the entrance of the parking lot. They were giving the parking receipts at Rs. 50 for all 4 wheelers, not sure for that day or all the days. But they had no information whether there is space or not in the parking-lot, even at the terrace. They were just issuing receipts at the entrance so as to earn the maximum revenues, and it ended up vehicles waiting on the ramps and all the drive-ways to get some space freed-up.
I started going up and up, and finally reached terrace to find some parking. There was really no space for parking, the parking people out there were somehow making space and keeping keys with themselves so as to make way for incoming and outgoing cars. While I was going to the topmost floor, it seemed from the notices that first few floors are reserved for daily pass, monthly pass etc etc. I also saw a few cars parked on those floors with their body covered, and they must have been parked there for too long. Not sure whose cars were they, and from how long were they parked, and is that allowed?
Finally, got some space on the terrace (7th floor), parked car there, and then came to 6th floor through ramp and then took the lift to ground floor. The lift was big enough to hold 2 alto cars and width was even more. Couldn't understand the real purpose of that big lift, anybody any idea? OR Its just waste of JNNURM funds?
Now, we started walking towards Lalbagh, double road entrace gate, via the footpath. Liking the state of footpath initially and feeling happy initially but soon my joy reduced to anger when I was passing through broken slabs on the footpath, excreta and human urinal-remains and their smell became the side walker with us. Also, towards the end of the footpath at the lalbagh side, there was a huge garbage dump just kept like that. This was the BBMPs care-taking of the citizens. Even the traffic police have put some ribbon on the footpath, so that people don't get down on the road and risk their life, even at the last strech, to cross the road, traffic police were right there to help people cross the road.
Another question for BBMP - Did they have any plans for the garbage being generated in this week-long event? What about all the plastics and other bad stuff being thrown in the lalbagh during this event, how are they going to tackle it? Why not more dustbins there and why no notifications or authorized people to make sure that people don't litter lalbagh.
While at one end, we are trying to showcase the great great flower show to all the world, at another end what is this? Why BBMP is not upto its own job properly? In all this garbage scenario, while it is convincing courts that it will take care of bangalore's garbage, but then what's the plan for this event?
Now, another important point - SECURITY - there was no security at all. I mean, there were people, there were lot of police force also posted, but at the entrace no security checks being done. After taking the ticket, one person with some noise-making device trying to just scan ladies' bag and that too carelessly, and due to huge crowd, his manager telling him not to do this very religiously, make people move forward faster. Now, when we reached at the huge queue at the entrance of glass house, there were scanner gates, but none of them working, and poeple were just going through in and around of those gates.
On 26th jan, Security was totally flawed in lalbagh and was waiting for some incident to happen.
BBMP has totally failed in its duty of giving proper footpaths to walk from the nearest bus-stop and parking lot. It would have been great, if politicians who inaugurated teh show would have been made to take the same path, the path being decided for normal public, then only it can help us common-men.
But apart from all that critics, I would like to praise also for the horticulture department and other stake-holders who did a lot of hardwork to make such a beautiful flower show, arrangments, a few displays of those as well -
35ft Eiffel Tower -
Other flower arrangements -
Deepak
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