The Kanpur Zoo was opend in 1971 and ranks among one of the best zoos in the country. It
is an ideal place for outdoor life and picnics amongst picturesque surroundings.
Each politicain who comes on a flying visit to Kanpur thinks that the greatest service
he or she can do to Kanpur residents is get a few more trees uprooted and get a new
marble statue of some past illuminary erected with modern lighting. Not one politician
bothers one bit about the quality of air going in the lungs of the Kanpur residents who are clapping
and cheering for these magnificent politicians.
Most national and state politicians are equally insensitive to consequences of ecological
damage and short sighted city and urban planning. Every new politician wants to perform
a marble and statue construction ceremony in front of local jounalist cameras, upon the sparse
green belts of Kanpur. Not once will he
quiz the civic planners about the "air quality" in this massive city. - "Yeh kis chidiya ka naam
hai ?" will likely be the answer. The design
of these marble sculptures is such that even a bird cannot sit on the head of the luminaries
whose statue is constructed, uprooting trees. But who can show the mirror to these
insensitive politicians who have not planted a single tree in their life or come to find
out if the sapling they planted is still alive.
And that rare breed - the local politician who does express an interest in the ecological environment of Kanpur
usually has an ulterior motive up his sleeve, in terms of wanting to award yet another construction
contract to a much loved near and dear one.
Phool Bagh of Kanpur has become Baloo Bagh or Reteela Bagh, storms of sand blow in the wind,
reminding one of the deserts of Rajasthan. Phool Bagh is also often used as a convenient dumping
ground for city sewage, which adds a pungent smell to the fragrance of dead and missing flowers
in "Phool Bagh", the so called promenade and pride of Kanpur. There is no proper sports ground or facility for
children, the so called "bhavishya of this country" and this too is not on the agenda of the leaders
of Kanpur. What a shame for Kanpur.