Smriti Vatika's ugly scar

From the outset it seems that Gurgaon’s Smriti Vatika Park in sector 55 is well manicured and maintained perfectly. However, once you enter the park reality seems to be pegged differently. An open sewer dissects the park into two leading with foul stench emanating from it perennially. Maintained the horticulture department of HUDA, residents feel Huda should intervene and do a cosmetic makeover of the park.
Catering to the needs of residents of Sector 53, 54, 55 and 56, the lone park in the area is a hub of activities. Morning walkers grace the park quite early here, feeling the need of proper lighting facilities here.

“Most of the walkers come here before the break of dawn. It is quite dark at that time. We just need that Huda should keep the park properly lit up,” says ML Chawla, a resident of sector 56.
Most of the sectors around the Smriti Vatika have apartments of Central Group Housing societies. Unlike private developers, they don’t have parks inside their apartment complexes. “This is the reason why this park draws a huge crowd,” says Subhash Sharma, resident of sector 56.
“If there’s a will, this park can be developed nicely. It can have a space for children’s park, a separate platform for people to practice yoga, and some more rain shelters having benches for old people to sit and relax after walking,” adds Sharma. Out of the two rain shelters, one is right next to the sewer, rendering it useless.
“The need of the hour is to close down the sewer that passes through the park. If HUDA can put pipes instead of the open drain, it will help us in reclaiming lot of waste land and using the entire area of the park,” says RS Kataria, President of morning walker’s association of Smriti Vatika.
However, 81-year-old Om Prakash Joshi feels, “A certain stretch of walking track is slanted and is rough for walkers. People wearing waist belts and old ones get jerks here. It should be leveled so that people like me can walk properly.”
“HUDA has done good job in some parts of the park. The manicured lawns and well kept garden at the entry is commendable. However, the open drain is an ugly scar and should be removed,” says BL Mehrotra, resident of Sun City heights, sector 54.