TAXILA: The district administration of Attock sealed poorly maintained rides, slides and swings, including mechanical, conventional and electrical, at an amusement park located on a private land in the Pindigheb city to avert any untoward incident.

However, the action drew criticism from the visitors and picnickers who termed it a “wrong decision at a wrong time”, depriving people of a cheap entertainment.

Sources said a team from the local administration, led by assistant commissioner (AC) Ejaz Abdul Kareem, visited the park on the directives of Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Zulqurnian to check safety measures and inspect documents for the regularisation of the mechanical swings.

The visit was part of a drive for checking safety measures and for verifying the no-objection certificate (NOC) issued by the district administration for such swings in amusement parks.

However, the team found no prior approval taken from the district administration for the swings. Subsequently, these were sealed. According to officials, these swings were not only being operated without a fitness certificate but also many of them were installed without approval from the concerned departments.

The park administration has been asked to provide documents under Rule 4(2) of the Regulation of Mechanical Rides Bylaws 2017, said the AC while talking to newsmen.

He said details of the rides, including the structure, mechanics, electricity supply, control, safety, hydraulic and pneumatic system were to be submitted to the district administration.

“The district administration will ensure that the ban is implemented and in this regard it has sought help from the police,” the official said.

However, the visitors to park criticised the decision of the local administration.

Zahida Batool, a resident of Shahbazpur, said she brought her children to the park to celebrate the independence day. She said that if there were fitness or renewal of licence issues, why the administration was waiting for holidays.

Naqqi Shah, a visitor from Rangl with his four children, said the administration should have fixed the problem before the holidays as their poor management deprived hundreds of holidaymakers especially children of an entertainment.

Ayesha Bibi, 15, told this reporter that every year she along with her family came to the park from her village near Ikhlas but this time she was disappointed when she saw all the swings closed.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2022