TOBA TEK SINGH: A public park in Charh Mohallah of Kamalia on more than nine kanals in the middle of the city has been turned into a garbage dumping ground by the tehsil municipal administration (TMA).

The park was several years back and it had grassy grounds, a lake, a fountain, lights and its own water system for plantation and the lake. The TMA had also deputed staff for its care. However, the staff slowly started disappearing and the park turned into a garbage site with the passage of time.

During rains about a year ago, the park’s lake was filled to capacity and a minor child of the locality drowned in it. After this, the TMA itself started dumping garage into the lake to level it with the park’s ground.

This encouraged the locals who also started throwing their garbage into the lake as well as the park. The park’s gate and lights had been stolen, walls had collapsed and most of bricks of the walls had been taken away.

Haji Qareeb Ahmad Shakir, a resident of the area, told this correspondent that two councillors had been elected on the ruling party ticket from the same area and they had promised to restore the park. However, they could not do anything so far due to dysfunctional local government system.

Another citizen of the same locality, Amer Manzoor, said the community had repeatedly brought the issue of the park to the notice of the TMA but to no avail.

The assistant commissioner, who has also the powers as Kamalia TMA administrator, Chaudhry Khalid, said he was aware of the condition of the parks of the city, including the Charh Mohallah park, and sufficient funds had been allocated for them in the current year’s budget. He claimed the repair and renovation of the parks would start soon.

Toba Tek Singh Tehsil Municipal Officer (TMO) Rana Ghulam Dastagir, who has got the additional charge of Kamalia TMO, said two parks in areas of Charh Mohallah and Mohallah Fazal Diwan were established on the property of Auqaf department. They needed permission from the Auqaf department before renovating these parks, he said and added the department had now allowed them to go ahead with the renovation and repair. Funds had been allocated for the parks and they would be renovated soon, he added.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016