Mangalore: People Resent Meddling With Radio Gudda, Robbing of Lung Space
 
Pics: Savitha B R
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (PS/SP)
 
Mangalore, Mar 5: It is an alarming scenario. The only park in Urwa Store area, named Derebail Park, which is more popularly known as Radio Gudda, that is located to the east of the Ladyhill-Suratkal Road, is facing threat to its very existence. The district administration has come up with an idea to construct Ambedkar Bhavan there, besides reserving another chunk of the park for MESCOM. This park, which has been in existence since many years, is now faced with the question of survival. The park is 80-year-old. It has 500 metres-long walking track and a number of medicinal plants.
 
This park happens to be a hangout spot for the people ranging from small kids to senior citizens. The total area of the park, which used to be five acres in the past, has shrunk to just 2.88 acres now, as some portions of the land were set aside for various purposes including the construction of Devaraj Urs Samudaya Bhavan. At present, Devaraj Urs Samudaya Bhavan is in a sorry state, because of the lack of interest shown by the concerned people, who seem to have lost steam after they got the building they had sought.
 

Speaking to daijiworld, a senior citizen named E L Pais, who has submitted a memorandum to Dakshina Kannada district deputy commissioner on behalf of the citizens, said that on an average, over a hundred people visit this park every day, either for jogging or for enjoying the nature. Now, the latest move of the deputy commissioner of the district in issuing an order to the tahsildar to allocate 1.50 acres of land of this park for the construction of Ambedkar Bhavan, and another 50 cents to MESCOM, has upset all the people, who come to the park to stroll around in the evening.

Pais also pointed out that the forest department had planted 280 saplings in the park during June last year. The city corporation has installed three electric polls to provide lighting in the park. “I look after them out of my own interest. Under these circumstances, how can we support the decision of the district administration to further divide this park and allot portions of it for some other purposes?” he questioned. Many other senior citizens like retired superintending engineer, U Ramachandra, former hotelier, Mahabala Rai, retired bank employee, Raghuvir, retired government servant, Frederick D’Souza, echoed similar sentiments, and stoutly resented the idea of shrinking the park further. Speaking to daijiworld, they expressed their emotional attachment with this park, and felt that the government should never interfere with parks, lakes and other bodies, which are very important for balancing the ill-affects of rapid urbanization.

The pertinent question that remains unanswered is, will the district administration will respect their emotions and reverse its earlier orders? It is gathered that Derebail Park Caretakers Committee, which was registered in 1985, of which Pais is the president, has been taking care of the park, and that hundreds of families belonging to lower strata of the society, which live in the vicinity of the park, make use of the medicinal plants for preparing home remedies for routine ailments. 21 benches donated by different individuals, adorn this park. There is a water fountain in the park, but because of utter neglect, is has been non-functional since some time. The people stress that the park needs to be developed, nor pushed towards extinction.

Pais also opines that Ambedkar Bhavan can well be built at the barren land near the National Highway Authority office in the area. Voices of a few harassed individuals, who have repeatedly submitted mass petitions for the park’s survival, may not be sufficient to save Radio Gudda. The affected people badly need the support of environmentalists and other citizens, who have been upset at the rapid rate of urbanization of the city, which threatens to transform the once green city into a concrete jungle soon.