Joggers fear broken PDP track can hurt

Even after developing cracks since a few months, the jogging track at Priyadarshini Park (PDP) in Nepeansea Road has not been repaired.

In June, the fire brigade department had taken over a portion of the Priyadarshini Park and started parking their fire engine. They were granted permission to ply to-and-from the back gate as well as use the space for parking.

However, this stretch which is being used to ply heavy vehicles — the fire engine — cannot withstand the weight as a result of which the jogging track has developed cracks.

The Malabar Hill Citizens Forum (MHCF), a residents' forum, has been opposing the civic body's move and suggesting other available vacant land instead of using the park area.

The decision to develop a fire station in PDP was taken as the area did not have a fire station, and on several occasions, the delay of fire engines in reaching a certain spot had cost human lives as well as loss of property.

According to the fire department, the lanes are narrow in Malabar Hill and fire engines from other areas take longer to reach. So, there was a need to set up a separate fire station within the area to minimise the loss.

The civic body had also proposed to develop an eco-friendly fire station that will be built of bamboo and other similar materials.