Hopes around a garden

It's been at least two years since the metro came to Noida. One of the stations is called Botanical Gardens and it's been my plan to check out the place - after all, it has a station in it's name and there must be something there! I knew it was central government property and that it had been in the news for several years, for not really the right reasons. The name 'Botanical Gardens' seemed attractive enough and I longed to find a nice green spot to sit (no, don't suggest a
mall, especially over the weekend) so I went, after much delay.

Finding the entrance wasn't tough. I knew vaguely that it was between a giant mall and a busy road. I just had to look for it. As I went inside, I was stopped at the gate by a guard who asked me who I wanted to see! Stumped, I said - well, the garden! He looked confused, went to a small room inside and brought out a register for me to sign in. Great - now I felt I'd walked into a government office - hardly a spot for recreation, you would agree. He was probably just doing his job. I signed my name when another googly came my way - write the name of your school alongside, he said. I'm not in school, I responded. Zapped, he persisted: Then where do you study? (Now this is something which happens to me quite often. No, I'm not being immodest and I'll explain some other time.) I don't study, I work, I replied. Amused but in no mood to entertain any further questions, I wrote down my name and he brought in a visiting pass. Now I really felt like an official on tour! Thankully, he wasn't rude; he was probably just wondering if
was on a school trip and needed to present some homework in class!

As I made my way into the garden, the initial thought was - it's huge, there are some flowers but it's nothing spectacular. Having seen some very beautiful gardens in Delhi, I sighed, but walked along, hoping to find something better. Another man (guard?) came along. I was just about to
point towards my pass when he said, come I'll show you. He was being encouraging. He showed me some varieties of medicinal plants and flowers. Sadly, there were not enough and whatever were there were not in good condition. As I gazed across the garden, I could see a handful of people watering some parts. The sprinklers were on (which I love) but most of the plants had dried up. I couldn't help asking the man about the state of affairs. He admitted that the garden had been in the 'construction state' for around 12 years. You know how 'sarkari' work is done, he said. But he was quick to add that work had resumed (again!) and things would get better
soon.

Mummy says the botanical gardens in Calcutta are a famous tourist spot and have several rare varieties of plants, especially for medicinal purposes. That's what a botanical garden is supposed to be! Not just a piece of greenery in the middle of a concrete jungle. Don't get me wrong - it's not like it's not nice; but given it's impressive name, you are likely to be disappointed. It really needs much better planning and maintenance and will surely get many visitors, seeing how well-connected it is by the metro. As of now, I'm sure all the commuters are just longing to
visit the nearby mall. Disappointed, I couldn't help comparing the place to the beautiful gardens I've been to in south Delhi.

I couldn't help but notice parts of the garden dug up, as well as construction around the place. A massive mall lies at one end while the pillars of the metro actually pass through the edge of the garden. Further away, some high-rise buildings are taking shape. It's a classic example of unplanned growth. If only the authorities had developed the garden well, the location would have served as a beautiful spot for nature-lovers in the middle of all the traffic. But then...

I clicked a few photos of whatever pretty I could find. (Blame it on the Facebook culture - we need to have evidence of everything we've visited!) My enthusiasm had dampened but you couldn't question my commitment. I had charged my digicam the night before having initially
planned my visit for a Sunday; but it had rained and the idea wasn't very appealing. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. The garden is open only during 9-5 PM and closed on the weekend. I'm not surprised there were no other visitors.

The optimist in me hopes things will improve. That is, if someone really wants to do their job.