The Karnataka Horticulture Department’s actions are transforming public parks such as Cubbon Park and Lalbagh into private playgrounds for walkers and joggers’ associations. InApril this year, revised Park Use Rules in Cubbon Park prohibited a string of activities,including meeting in groups, sitting on the lawns, couples holding hands, eating, climbingtrees, and playing. Recent reports highlight how Lalbagh administrators have banned silentreading groups, citing complaints from park walkers. The ban targets communities thatgather on the lawn to silently read books or e-read, sitting on mats to protect the grass.Surprisingly, these reading groups are now considered a threat to the park’s flora and fauna.Administrators have gone so far as to instruct park personnel to photograph readers on thelawn. Such rules and practices risk reducing park usage, potentially leading to the neglect ofthese public spaces. Park use regulation should promote responsible usage, considering thatthe revenue for maintaining these green spaces comes from city residents through variousforms of taxation and user fees. Discriminating against certain legitimate park activitiesraises concerns about equal access to green spaces