Residents of Bengaluru are up in arms over a new set of rules introduced for Cubbon Park, a popular green space in the Central Business District of Bengaluru. The Karnataka Horticulture Department has instructed security guards to not allow food, playing games, or taking photos. The most bizarre rule however is that couples will be asked not to get too close to one another. The reasoning given is that people who bring food litter the park and littering leads to an increase in the number of rats and snakes. The increased population of rodents and reptiles might then ‘endanger the safety’ of couples. Confused? Read on.
“When people come with food, they often litter the area because of which we had many rats coming into the park and therefore snakes also increased in the area. So, from a safety point of view, because these couples sit in some corner areas of the park and do all sorts of things, we have placed the ban. We have also received complaints about indecent behaviour, so we wanted to maintain the decorum of the park,” Rajender Kumar Kataria, Principal Secretary of the Horticulture Department, told TNM.
By that logic, couples who make out in the middle of the park, families, and single people are safe from rodents and reptiles.
The new rules also ban children from climbing trees and playing near plants. Rajender Kumar said that children climbing on trees and playing around the plants ruined them.
Rajender Kumar further added that Cubbon Park is meant for activities involving fitness, cultural activities, and anything ‘approved by the government’. He added that while personal photography is still allowed in Cubbon Park, commercial photography and videography have been banned.
Residents slammed this decision, saying that one should stop referring to Cubbon Park as a park. Others raised questions on who will decide what is the appropriate distance to be maintained by couples and compared the current state of the park to a religious site.
This Cubbon Park thing is just a symptom of how India treats public spaces.
— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) April 13, 2023
We treat public spaces as government spaces, not people spaces.
So, any bureaucrat can make any random rule.
Which fundamentally screws poorer people who don't have private spaces.
Yaakappa? Turning Cubbon Park into satsang venue-aa? https://t.co/NdqMGBugiO
— HarishPullanoor (@harishmenon80) April 13, 2023
They should change the name from Cubbon Park to Cubbon.... Whatever.
— Rohini Anand (@miss_roh08) April 13, 2023
What is the use of Cubbon Park then?? https://t.co/TUhJtTkaoN
Terrible! Cubbon Park is a perfect place for families to get together and have a picnic. So many bring badminton racquets and balls and frisbees to play with.
— zibi (@zibijamal) April 13, 2023
Why are we always trying to control everything. Increase the food waste bins and ensure people follow. Why stop?! https://t.co/ZdT6lCKGM1
They should just rename Cubbon Park to CuBAN park!
— Anubhav Goyal (@anubhavgo) April 13, 2023