Shamsabad Public Park loses its beauty

Rawalpindi
After seeing the appalling condition of once lush green and artistically maintained Public Park near Shamsabad (Pindi Cricket Stadium Road), one can’t help lamenting how easy it is to destroy a place of public utility than to build and maintain it.
Today, one can easily write an obituary on the park, which has lost its aesthetic look, made of eye-soothing grass, nicely-kept flowerbeds, plants showing off their colours through diverse variety of flowers and trees providing shade to the visitors.
Besides, a number of other features, the park also had a kids’ play area, lawns and a few kiosks, where 'fruit chat 'and other food items were available for visitors.
Visitors, both young and old, male and female, used tracks for strolling and jogging. These tracks have developed patches and potholes and bricks nicely marking both sides have gone missing.
Residents, who live close to the park and have seen its best days and now worst time, say this is great injustice to the of the twin cities, particularly Rawalpindi, which only has just six worth-mentioning parks, including Ayub National Park and Liaquat Bagh. Remember, the population of the city has multiplied and is reportedly today over 3 million as per conservative estimates.
The park is an attraction for drug addicts and other unwanted elements. For families, it is no more an attractive and safe place to visit. It has been transformed into a dustbin. Benches and tables, made of wood, have been taken away long ago.
A piece of land, spread over 80 acres, was given by the Agriculture Department Punjab for building a public park and this was opened by Nawaz Sharif in 1991.
The park was and had been a great attraction for families and friends for several years.
Even today, the park has been made a host to a so-called ‘mela’ that also includes circus. The ‘mela’ will be over in a few days, but the scars it will leave behind may take a long time before these are removed and one wonders, if at all, these will be removed.
At present, rainwater has made a large pond and this indeed is quite alarming keeping in view the deadly dengue fever threat. Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has developed a plant nursery on one side of the park, breaking the boundary wall: almost daily, trucks are loaded with plants for different parts of the city.
PHA Director General Muhammad Akram Soban, when contacted, told ‘The News’ that they had a crash programme to restore beauty of the park within a month and said this would start in September.
Asked why PHA allowed holding of a ‘mela’ at a park that is already in a pathetic condition, he expressed his helplessness by saying that the decision was made by the higher authorities.
He wished to turn the park into a state-of-the-art facility, if an investor or group of investors stepped in. He pointed out the PHA was handicapped by lack of funds, which could be addressed by ensuring transfer of already-delayed parks, which could help generate revenue.
It is pertinent to mention that ‘Bachhon ki Dunya Park’, at Commercial Market and Rawal Town land also belongs to PHA, but it has not been handed over to it despite passage of three years. The PHA was established under an act in 2012.