BBMP sets up committee to investigate playground tragedy and plans to set up a separate department to maintain the site

The renovation work on the playground in Hombegowda Nagar, which began a year and a half ago, is still ongoing. | Photo credit: Special agreement

A day after the tragic death of an 11-year-old boy after the entrance gate of a playground in Malleshwaram, popularly known as Kulla Park, fell on him, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) set up a three-member committee to investigate the incident. The civic body is also considering setting up a separate department to maintain playgrounds in the city.

Eleven-year-old Niranjan, a resident of Vivekananda Block slum in Dattatreya Temple Street, had tried to open the main gate when it fell on him and crushed him. The incident took place at 4 pm on Sunday when he and his 13-year-old friend met to play on the field.

BBMP chief commissioner Tushar Giri Nath said, “I have formed a committee comprising the chief engineer (lakes), chief engineer (technical monitoring cell under commissioner) and chief engineer (quality control). I have directed the team to submit a report before September 30.” The BBMP will also suspend the executive engineer and deputy executive engineer.

The BBMP chief has asked the committee members to conduct a technical assessment and quality test of the work done by collecting samples from the playground. “The team will thoroughly investigate why the gate fell and what materials were used for its construction,” said Mr. Giri Nath.

Mr. Giri Nath in conversation with The Hindusaid the civic body is considering forming a separate department for maintenance of playgrounds. Unlike parks and lakes, the BBMP does not have a separate maintenance fund for playgrounds. Development of the facilities is currently being done under MLA grants or other subsidies.

Mr. Giri Nath further said that the records of sports grounds are currently maintained by the state government and not the BBMP. This is one of the reasons why the civic body does not have data on the number of sports grounds. Creating a separate body would solve this problem, he said.

Dilapidated condition

Activists and residents of the city say that several playgrounds are in a dilapidated condition due to neglect by BBMP. The compound walls and gates of many playgrounds are broken, posing a danger to children playing in these grounds, they say.

For example, in Hombegowda Nagar (Ward 145) in Chickpet Assembly section, construction work that started about one and a half years ago is still not completed. Construction iron rods are lying unattended beside rubble. Amresh S, a citizen activist, said children here are playing with their lives. Though local residents have been urging the BBMP to complete the work, no action has been taken, he said.

In Kengeri, the playground has been handed over to the BBMP but has only been fenced off without any further construction. After dark, it is not safe for children to play there as many illegal activities take place there, said Ramani S., a resident of Kengeri. “Not only this playground, many parks in the area are also in a bad condition and the gates are on the verge of collapse. If the BBMP does not fix this immediately, it is a ticking time bomb,” he added.