MCI so far fails to maintain parks

Islamabad

The Municipal Corporation Islamabad (MCI) has shown its inability to maintain and upkeep public parks in the federal capital due to paucity of financial resources.

An official of environment wing of the MCI while talking to ‘The News’ has admitted that the corporation is presently with funds available to maintain, repair and renovate facilities available at parks meant for children and public. “What to talk about maintaining these parks, we are hardly able to pay salaries of employees of MCI and CDA,” an official while requesting not to be named said.

The official said presently there are little over 190 public parks in different sectors of the Islamabad but immediately the MCI had no funds to start renovation of parks or repair facilities available there.

The majority of parks in Islamabad were renovated during era of then chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA) Kamran Lashari about 10 years ago along with creation of new recreational places and children’s playing areas but all these places are no more attractive for the residents due to poor maintenance and negligence on part of responsible directorates.

Instead of serving as leisure places for the residents, the public parks now have become security risks for residential areas as only people with indecent personalities are seen playing cards and smoking in parks.

Broken slides and swings, ground deprived of grass and stolen iron fences depict sorry state of parks elsewhere in the federal capital which should serve as a model for rest of the country.

Fazal-e-Haq, a resident of G-9, said as to how the MCI would be able to maintain playing grounds like cricket stadium when it is not able to upkeep over 190 parks which are currently under control of the municipal body. “We do not know as to when we will start bearing fruit of the elected local government,” he said.

CDA Spokesman Malik Muhammad Saleem, when contacted, said that estimate on maintenance and renovation of parks was being conducted and the work would start as soon as funds are available with the MCI.