Old City open spaces turn into parking lots

Many open grounds in the Old City are being used as parking lots. Children used to play in some of these grounds, but no longer.

The Khilwat ground is being used to park buses which tourists to Chowmahalla palace. The ground is also used for religious and political rallies. The main gate is locked and garbage has piled up there.

A person manning the parking lot at the Chowmahalla palace said, “We have space for parking at the palace, but when that is full, we use the Khilwat ground.”

He said many foreigners come in buses, which are parked on the Khilwat ground. School buses are parked there at night.

The Jahanuma, Sultanshahi and Khurshidjha grounds, which like the Khilwat ground measure about 1,200 to 1,500 sq. yard, are also meeting the same fate.

Mr Abdul Akram, an RTI activist, said “People in the Old City are deprived of both parks and grounds. Many elderly people complain that they can’t breathe fresh air these days because of the dust and pollution.”

School children used to play at the Khurshidjha ground but that was closed by the college citing problems. “How far is it justified to close the ground if one person has done something wrong? So many children, youth and aged persons are affected,” he said.

Mr Yaseen Ali, a resident of Edi Bazaar, said, “There was a ground in our colony 15 years ago, but that was encroached by private contractors. Only a portion of it is left, which is used for parking cars and scooters.”

Asked about the issue, GHMC south zone commissioner S. Srinivas Reddy said nobody had approached the corporation regarding illegal parking in the grounds. “If someone approaches us, we will take action,” he said.