Elderly, disabled complain of lack of facilities in Birsa park

RANCHI: Despite heavy footfall of 150 to 200 tourists a day,

Birsa Deer Park

, Kalamati, which is 20 kilometers away from Ranchi, appears to have no proper eateries for is visitors.

Guddu, an undergraduate student from Chakradharpur, who recently visited the park with his friends, said he found it difficult to spend the day without any food. "It is a

peaceful and safe place

for spending the day but one cannot remain hungry or thirsty for long. There are

no dhaabas or restaurant

near the park," he said.

Only two small vendors from the neighbouring tribal villages can be found selling snacks and packaged water bottles opposite the entrance of the park. There are no water coolers athough tap water is available.

Moreover, the park is also devoid of facilities like

battery-operated car or wheel chair

, causing inconvenience to differently-abled persons and senior citizens. There are small bridges in the park, constructed after frequent gaps, and this makes it difficult for the elderly ones to cross over.

A tribal boy managing the private parking area in front of the park said, "The situation continues to remain the same for a long time now. Bimlesh Kumar Pandey, the range clerk of the park said, "I cannot provide an answer to such problems as nobody brought it to our notice before."

In order to deal with this problem, the

forest and environment department

is planning to come up with a beautification project. "We are willing to improve the infrastructure of the park for basic requirements like food and other facilities for senior citizens. But it will take at least one year," principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF), Lal Ratnakar Singh, said.