Bengaluru’s Jakkarayanakere may return to public use as playground

Bengaluru Nestled between a growing residential neighbourhood and the city’s transport hub, Jakkarayanakere, a site steeped in history, is once again at the centre of plans for transformation. The site was once a lake, which has lost all characters of a waterbody decades ago and was being used as a playground, before it was reinvented for Namma Metro and later Bengaluru City Police. The site is currently being used by the Police Department, which plans to convert it into a parade ground and police quarters.

However, local residents are demanding that it be opened to the public and developed into a playground. Discussions are under way between MLA for Gandhinagar Dinesh Gundu Rao and the Home Department, but a final decision is yet to be taken. Meanwhile, the department has cleaned up the land and undertaken plantation work.

However, confusion over the subsequent transfer of the land after 2007 has led to a series of discussions to resolve the issue. Paucity of playgrounds Speaking to The Hindu, Mr.