Bengaluru New Year Alert: Parks And Lakes To Close After 6 PM On December 31

Bengaluru authorities will restrict public entry to parks and lakes after 6 pm on December 31 as a precaution for New Year celebrations. The move aims to prevent overcrowding and ensure public safety during late-night festivities.

As part of heightened safety measures ahead of the New Year celebrations, public entry to parks and lakes across parts of Bengaluru will be restricted after 6 pm on December 31. The decision has been taken by the Bengaluru Central City Corporation and the West City Corporation to prevent overcrowding and ensure public safety during late-night festivities.

Precautionary Measure To Prevent Untoward Incidents

According to officials, the restriction has been imposed as a precautionary step, considering the likelihood of large public gatherings on New Year’s Eve. Authorities believe that uncontrolled crowds during late hours could lead to disturbances or untoward incidents, prompting the need for temporary restrictions in public spaces.

“During the New Year celebrations, there is a likelihood of large public gatherings at night, which may lead to untoward incidents and disturbance of public peace. Therefore, in the interest of public safety, entry to all parks and lakes under the jurisdiction of the corporation will be temporarily restricted after 6 pm on December 31,” the corporations said in a joint statement.

Previous Park Timings And Safety Concerns

Last year, the Karnataka government revised park timings across Bengaluru, allowing all municipal parks to remain open from 5 am to 10 pm. However, several parks reportedly did not fully implement the order, citing safety and security concerns during late evening hours.

Changes After Formation Of Greater Bengaluru Authority

Following the formation of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the division of the city into five corporations, park timings have varied across zones. The Bengaluru South City Corporation had earlier announced that parks under its jurisdiction would operate only from 5 am to 11 am and again from 4 pm to 8 pm.