Among the many tourist attractions in Vizag, Tenneti Park has always held a special place. A charming park adorning the bewitching bay in the city, the park has long held our imagination with its stunning beauty. However, a recent visit to the park did not offer a pleasing sight to our Editor, Shilpanjani Dantu. She shares her experience.
“This issue’s cover shoot! That’s the excitement which got me to Tenneti Park very early in the morning. Thinking of getting some morning exercise, and feasting my eyes from the scenic vantage spot at the park, while the photographer and model worked on the shoot, I went all geared up and enthusiastic.
So imagine my disappointment; when I found this picturesque park littered with plastic bags, discarded bottles, wrappers, half-eaten and rotting food. Instead of breathing in the salty morning breeze, I had to hold my breath against the foul stench! As I took the steps to the beach, more garbage greeted my eyes. And when I asked the security guard about it, his nonchalant response was, ‘That’s the weekend crowd Madam, don’t worry, the sweepers will take care of it soon’. When I probed further, he mentioned that there weren’t enough dustbins, with the park having only one per level, increasing the number of people throwing trash everywhere. This only worried me further, raising the question on whose job was it to keep the park clean.
Was the lackadaisical attitude of the security guard to blame? Couldn’t he have taken the initiative of stopping people from leaving trash around? Was it the people to blame, who despite campaigns of Swachh Bharat, didn’t know better? Have the authorities not stepped up, to keep this stretch clean? Or is it our fault, for not raising our voice, as visitors to the park, about its cleanliness.
Tenneti Park, like most other parks, is an important tourist attraction for us. More importantly, it is one of our prized locations, by the beach, offering a stunning view of the coastline. It is the pre-wedding photo spot for many young couples. It is the point where one can feast their eyes on the city’s beauty. And we should do something to stop it from being spoilt.
As a proud citizen of this beautiful city, I take the responsibility of raising my voice. Just like we keep our homes clean, it is time to treat our city the same way. Carry a trash bag along and clear up your own mess. Besides this park, there are similar spots in Vizag, which are languishing for lack of civic sense. It is time that we, as responsible citizens, take up the tasks of raising the attention of authorities towards such instances. It is time to stop finding reasons to litter and be the change towards a cleaner Vizag.”
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