Family section please

Bad enough Hyderabad doesn’t have much of a green patch to boast of and worse still is the fact that the green patches which had everyone flocking towards it, come rain or shine is being segmented and making the already shrunk green spot even smaller. That’s the Necklace Road.

Few years back the then HUDA now GHMC, did beautification and landscaping work of the Necklace road to make it more suitable for families. This was also done in order to divert the ever swelling crowd at Tank Bund towards the deserted Necklace which was a favourite lovers’ haunt. “It was badly-lit and mostly avoided by people as it was not considered safe and decent to walk on the road that connected Khairatabad to Sanjeeviah Park,” says Smitha Thomas, a soft ware professional and a mother.

Once People’s Plaza was in place, DWACRA exhibitions and shows kept the place buzzing with families, the various segments on the stretch near to the lake made the place a perfect favourite hangout for children, families and elders as well. And Necklace soon shed its old ‘seedy’ reputation.

Eat Street was the place to be and those in mood for some hot makka bhutta or ice cream would settle at one of the 11 well carpeted green stretch of ground and this literally forced love-birds to shift along with their ‘actions’ towards the parking lots or stick to the privacy of their vehicles.

On cooler evenings, family dinner picnics was the usual sight. Lake Police patrolling not only made it safe for all, they also played spoilsport for love birds. While they cribbed and whined, the general public had a gala time.
Changing scene

However, that’s not the scene anymore. Thinking enough is enough; the love-birds are back and this time with vengeance. Now, some of the patches at Necklace road do not entice the families anymore. The fun evenings of the families with food and games on the green patches is mostly constrained to the ‘safe zones’. The other zones now mostly see love-birds of all age. “It is crazy to notice how these people unmindful of the public and traffic are engrossed in their sweet nothings. Try disturbing them and all they do is turn their back towards you,” says Rajanikanth, a marketing executive who often pass by this stretch. “I used to walk on the patch near P.V. Narasimha Rao’s memorial ground, now by evening all the space is taken over by couples,” says 60-year-old Narasimham Murthy.

Most frequenters say it is best to avoid these patches, at least the ones where you don’t see a father or a mother taking a kid for walk. These places are now a permanent fixture for either the straight or gay couples. And with close observation one can easily demarcate the age-groups who occupy these spaces. “Middle aged couples like to stick to the spots near Jalavihar. The uneven ground acts as a shield for cover from being seen,” giggles Laxamma who is the sweeping in-charge of the place. She also adds, “we also don’t come when we see people here. College kids usually stay at the patches away from Jalavihar. Most of them have their fixed spots to sit. Strangely none of them sit on the benches.”

So if you want to go for a stroll or walk with friends, make sure it is the family sections only.