KARACHI: Mayor Wasim Akhtar said on Wednesday that the city’s municipal administration had fully renovated and restored Bagh Ibne Qasim, said to be the biggest park in the country stretching over 130 acres, and it would be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 30.

Addressing a press conference at the iconic park to announce its complete renovation and reconstruction, he said that new irrigation system had been laid to solve the water issue for good as the park would be watered twice a day.

He said that water was being brought from Nehr-i-Khayyam through pipeline and supplied to the park after treatment.

The mayor said that the park was in a dilapidated condition due to negligence and its restoration was indeed a challenging task for the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation.

He said that the KMC also removed different encroachments, including a four-storey building that stretched over an acre.

The mayor said that the poorly maintained sewerage lines had caused massive damage to the walls of the park.

He said that he was thankful to the Supreme Court for ordering action against encroachments.

City Council’s parks committee chairman Khurrum Farhan, director general parks Afaq Mirza and media committee chairperson Sabheen Ghori were also present on the occasion.

The mayor said that 300 flowering trees were also planted in the park which miserably lacked such trees.

Responding to a question, he said that he was in contact with the Sindh governor, chief minister, local government minister and others for the improvement of the city. “I appeal to the prime minister to ensure that the province get its due share fully,” he said.

The mayor said that only the city had right on the money being given to the province by Bahria Town in the wake of Supreme Court’s order. “A lot of [the] city’s problems will be solved if this money is spent on Karachi and its district Malir,” he said.

The mayor said that the municipal administration would try to keep the park maintained through public private partnership.

Replying to another question, he said that action was still being taken against encroachments on parks and KMC land.

He said that owners of houses constructed illegally on the land of Hill Park had been given 30-day notice to vacate the possession of the park’s land. “Hill Park will be made a model park after removal of all encroachments on its land,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2019