FAISALABAD: The Canal Park on Samundri Road is a major attraction for children for having various species of birds and animals and boating facility. However, the park is in need of regular maintenance and has inadequate facilities with broken swings and benches and lack of food items.

Kalsoom Bibi of Samanabad, who was in the park along with her four children, told Dawn they had come to the park to enjoy the pleasant weather, however, the lack of facilities there had spoiled their plan of recreation.

She said the park had been set up along the canal on a spacious land, however, efforts were not made to ensure that the families could enjoy without any hindrance. She said whenever one would visit the park, the absence of quality food items would be a major problem.

She praised the administrators who ensured, at least, boating for the visitors in the park. She said the canal park was the nearest recreational place in the city that attracted children because of birds and animals.

The model of village with huts and a well with a Persian wheel are also in a shambles.

The biggest attraction for children is animals and birds. People especially visit three cages which have monkeys. The visitors offer the monkeys popcorns, fruits and other edibles. However, it was pathetic to see the cages littered with garbage and rotten fruit, producing foul smell making it impossible for visitors to stand there.

Nadeem, carrying his son on shoulders, told Dawn his children insisted on visiting the park because of the animals like rabbits, ostrich, monkeys, parrots and horses. He was not satisfied with the maintenance of birds and animals’ cages, saying it was a problem that recreational facilities were developed spending million of rupees but they were not maintained.

The pathway alongside the canal creates problems for the visitors as the rainwater converts it into a muddy path.

Rauf, another visitor, said travelling on a motorcycle along children on the unpaved pathway was very tough in the rainy season. He said a number of times people slipped and sustained injuries because of the muddy road. He said the administration should have used tiles on the pathway.

A district government officer said they had been making all-out efforts to ensure the maximum facilities in the park for the public. He said the complaints of visitors were being addressed and the condition of the park would improve with the passage of time.

Published in Dawn, September 7th, 2014