KARACHI, Sept 16: The slow pace of work on a playground in Clifton has created doubts about the intentions of the project’s executing agency as local residents have started believing that the land worth several hundred millions may be handed over to some builders to construct a high-rise on the amenity plot.

Referring to the present status of the playground land (plot No.ST-4, Block 8, Clifton), residents of the area indicated that the entire project site had been turned unusable ever since the work on its development according to the original plan had been started. “Its jogging track has been ploughed and the boundary walls hammered down at many places,” they said, adding that no remarkable development work had so far been carried out which reflected the Clifton Cantonment Board’s lethargic attitude.

Accusing the board of paying no attention to the project site’s maintenance and protection, they said that the recent rains had inundated the playground and no efforts were made to clear the rainwater. Resultantly, the ground’s vast portion had wild grass grown on it, they said.

Instead of taking some remedial measures to resume execution of the development plan, the CCB staff started dumping garbage and waste in one portion of the ground while some unscrupulous people raised illegal structures in its another portion.

“It seems that the plan to develop the playground has been abandoned,” said a group of residents who expressed the apprehension that the land might be allowed to be used by some individuals for any purpose other than it was meant for.

Some youths living in the area said they used to play cricket in the ground but the pitch prepared for the purpose had now been buried under the garbage and rubble being dumped for several months. Similar heaps of garbage could be seen in different portions of the playground, they said.

They said that small pieces of land within the project site had already been under the use of some religious groups, adding that some other groups or individuals might encroach upon more land and it would become impossible for the CCB to develop the amenity plot as per its plan.

The area residents claimed that they had repeatedly met the CBC officials concerned with request to look into the matter but their response every time appeared unsatisfactory.

When contacted by Dawn, a spokesman for the CCB, Khadim Uchwi, maintained that the situation at the playground was part of the development work. Elaborating, he said that rainwater had remained accumulated in the playground because the ground level of the site was low. Claiming that the rainwater had since been flushed out, he said dumping of rubble and earth was being done to raise the ground level. He said the jogging track would also be restored soon.

Regarding the alleged illegal construction activity, the spokesman said that a contractor associated with a CCB project had been allowed to prepare concrete slabs and other construction material. However, he said, the contractor had since finished his job. He said the development work on the playground would be completed within six months or so.

About the alleged encroachment of playground land by religious groups, he clarified that the faithful visiting a nearby mosque had been allowed to park their vehicles in the playground but this arrangements were made for the month of Ramazan only.

The spokesman categorically stated that the CBC did not intend to hand over the amenity plot to anyone for any commercial or other purposes.