В Ранчи граффити и вандализм угрожают успеху городской программы озеленения

Ranchi: The Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has launched a citywide greening drive to develop 100 landscaped patches with seasonal flowers and regional plants, but vandalism, plant theft and dumping are threatening the beautification push. More than a dozen locations, including Kantatoli, Doranda, Hatia, Sahjanand Chowk, Harmu, Argora, Birsa Chowk, Kadru, Kutchery, Main Road, Chutia and the railway station area, have been identified. The stretch from Deen Dayal Chowk to Judge Colony via LPN Shahdeo Chowk will also be covered. RMC officials said work on 22 patches had either been completed or was under way, while tenders were floated on Thursday to award contracts for the remaining sites. However, several developed patches have already been damaged. Municipal workers said plants had been stolen, while some landscaped areas were being used for dumping waste and public urination. An RMC official said contractors had been forced to replant saplings at several locations. “Our cleanliness teams remove garbage from these spots two to three times a day, but waste keeps piling up again,” the official said. Residents blamed poor civic sense for the damage. Sanjeet Kumar, a resident, said he had witnessed people stealing plants from public spaces. “It is strange that people do not want to spend Rs 50 on a sapling but are ready to damage public property,” he said. College student Snigdha Singh said it was disturbing to see people dumping garbage at green spaces and defacing wall murals instead of helping keep the city clean. Municipal commissioner Sushant Gaurav said the challenge could not be addressed through enforcement alone and stressed the need to create a sense of public ownership. “Punitive measures might instil fear, but they will not foster genuine civic responsibility. We must allow time for a gradual behavioural shift. As citizens see green spaces taking shape across the city, they will appreciate the aesthetic value these installations bring to their surroundings,” he said. Gaurav said damaged patches would be restored shortly. He added that continuous rainfall had also caused wear and tear, making touch-ups and replanting necessary at affected stretches. Officials said public cooperation would be crucial to maintaining the landscaped spaces and improving Ranchi’s visual appeal.