The ‘Jyoti Nagar Play Park’—a first-of-its-kind public-private partnership (PPP) project—was inaugurated with great enthusiasm on Sunday. The initiative was undertaken by Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation (CSMC) and CSN First, in collaboration with corporate partners AITG Group and Grind Master Machines Pvt. Ltd.
This play park is a part of the ‘Aamhala Khelu Dya’ (Let Us Play) initiative of the Municipal Corporation and is inspired by innovative play park concepts from Berlin Play Parks. The idea was conceptualized by Mukund Bhogle, former president of CSN First. He said, "For years, I have dreamed of a play space in the city that fosters a connection with nature, nurtures children's imagination, and is truly inclusive. This park will be more than just a place to play—it will become a hub of creativity and social interaction for children."
The conceptual design of the project was undertaken by Kamal Rao and Landmark Concepts Pvt. Ltd., with special efforts from Municipal Commissioner G. Sreekanth and CSN First member Umesh Dasharathi to bring the idea to fruition.
The key features of the project are a nature-integrated play park spread over approximately 35,000 sq. ft., play equipment including group swings, log see-saws, ziplines, treehouses, climbing walls, and musical play structures, a layout designed to enhance child safety, engagement, and creativity, along with landscaped pathways, floral gardens, benches, green cover, and Miyawaki-style plantation for ecological balance.
The foundation stone was laid by Mukund Kulkarni (President, CSN First), Mukund Bhogle, and Milind Kelkar, Director, Grind Master Machines Pvt. Ltd. The event was attended by Municipal Garden Department Superintendent Vijay Patil, Umesh Dasharathi, Preetish Chatterjee, Prashant Deshpande, B.S. Khoshe, Sunil Deshpande, Sunil Chaudhary, Kamal Rao, Mihir Soundalgekar, Hemant Landge, Halnor Anna, and a large number of residents from Jyoti Nagar.
