Ludhiana: Once a sprawling urban oasis, Ludhiana’s Leisure Valley has degenerated into a dilapidated wasteland, sparking outrage among residents who are demanding the immediate restoration of the Dugri-Pakhowal Road green belt ahead of monsoon. The vital lung space has been left in shambles, with significant portions near Pakhowal Road completely destroyed after being dug up for water supply pipelines.The green belt, which once featured trees, grass, swings, benches, and dual-colored dustbins installed by the municipal corporation, has now turned into an overgrown jungle. Thick bushes completely hide the benches and dustbins, while streetlights are missing at multiple locations along the stretch.Public frustration over wasted fundsLocals have voiced frustration over the lack of continuity in maintaining public infrastructure across different government tenures. Resident Narinder Singh Masson noted that while the valley was developed using substantial public money, successive administrations have failed to maintain it, leaving many areas without clean, quiet nature spaces.Another resident, Asha Sharma from Haibowal, emphasised that proper maintenance is critical to achieving better air quality. She stated that allowing the park to fall into ruin results in a direct waste of public funds.Staff crunch and NGO failureMunicipal corporation officials have placed the blame for the park’s condition on an NGO that had voluntarily accepted the responsibility for its upkeep. One of the civic body officials said, “It has turned into a jungle, so we have conveyed to NGO members to perform their role properly or we will take back the maintenance work from them.”Additionally, the official admitted that the corporation’s horticulture branch is severely constrained by a shortage of manpower. Although the department has requested additional staff to manage the city’s green belts, they are yet to receive a satisfactory response from higher authorities.
