Srinagar, 20-Nov;What was once a Public Park has now morphed into a dumping ground, with people alleging that the concerned department was watching all this as mute spectator.The public Park located along abi guzar bund in Lalchowk is holding the importance of being the lone park in the area but has been turned into a garbage dumping site with no check or attention from the authorities for the maintenance of the park.Expressing their serious resentment against the authorities for failing to maintain the park, the locals told that the place must be maintained so that it can host more people in times to come as it used to in the initial days.According to locals the park is of great importance not only for common people but scores of the visitors, who visit this park owing to scarcity of space in the nearby city hub.“I was a regular visitor to this park and families always preferred to spend time with their loved ones here after their hectic workload. But the negligence of local authorities has let the park to be used not only as a garbage dumping site,” social activist, obaid Farooq said.”People throw waste including polythene etc in it and dogs are seen resting in it the whole day,” they added. They said the debris and structural material has made the life of the residents miserable. “It is difficult to breathe near the park now as pollution has destroyed it and has caused impediment to free flow of pedestrian and visitors,” Farooq Ahmad a local said.The aggrieved residents said that there is no other resting place within the area other than this park and it must be maintained and the work should start soon.Locals urged the Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to personally intervene into the matter and direct the authorities to maintain the park.(CNS)
