Swimming pool & multi-gym inside park is against rules, says HC

Karnataka High Court has ordered the city civic agency Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) against constructing a swimming pool or gym inside the Gayathridevi park in Rajajinagar here.

Allowing public interest litigation (PIL), a division bench of the HC said such constructions are prohibited under the Karnataka Parks, Playfields, and Open Space (Preservation and Regulation) Act 1985 (Section 8 (1) and Rules 1985 (Rule 6).

The Bench comprised Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J M Kazi. The Park, also known as the Mariyappana Palya Park, is in BBMP Ward 98, Prakashnagar in the Rajajinagar Assembly constituency. Local residents, J Srinivas, R Lakshminarayan, B S Praveen Kumar, and B K Harish Kumar had filed the PIL.

Advocate G R Mohan had alleged that based on proposals given by the ‘land mafia,’ the BBMP was trying to construct ”at a cost of Rs.6 crore, swimming pool, sports complex, multi gym, squash court, and 26 gazebos.”

Despite several requests by the locals to the Rajajinagar MLA against the construction, the works were started, the Advocate alleged. So they approached the HC.