HYDERABAD: Once again, the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC) has allowed commercial activity on a public park in violation of the decisions taken and directives issued in recent past.

The corporation has lately removed director of parks for issuing such a permission, exercising his authority, bypassing the Hyderabad mayor and municipal commissioner.

However, commercial activity has not stopped and the contractor concerned continues to use the space by operating swings, fun land, food courts, gaming machines etc in the park.

The fresh permission was issued to a contractor from Karachi for using the Shaheed-i-Millat Park, off Autobhan Road.

HMC had stopped issuance of such NOCs

Not only the commercial activity has been going on for several days, but also a portion of the newly-built Autobhan Road was damaged to create an ‘unauthorised parking space’ along it by erecting bamboos and placing barbed wires.

A parking fee of Rs50 per motorbike is charged from visitors.

All this has been going on under the nose of the district administration and HMC authorities. No one know as to who has allowed the contractor to damage the road and use the park spaces. Autobhan Road is the busiest artery of Hyderabad city.

“This came to our knowledge lately”, said Municipal Commissioner Zahoor Lakhan while talking to Dawn. But, he said, the director of parks, Shiraz Leghari, has been removed from his post. “Since he is an officer from Sindh Unified Grade (SUG), his explanation and suspension order will be issued by the authority concerned,” he said. He said that the official in charge of the park, Yasir, has been suspended.

Another No-objective certificate (NOC) for Nursery Park Unit No. 6, Latifabad, which was issued again but not disclosed. However, this NOC was withdrawn following objections raised by some residents of the area. A similar permission issued for the Baby Afza Park, near Board Office, was also issued but had to be withdrawn.

Mr Lakhan confirmed that these two permission had been withdrawn. He, however, conveniently parried a question as to how matter came to his and mayor’s knowledge that belatedly when permission for other spot was withdrawn. The issuance of permission for Shaheed-i-Millat Park had been doing the round even during Ramazan.

The then HMC municipal commissioner Fakhir Shakir, had issued a directive on May 2, 2023, stating that “no any commercial activity is allowed on any park / playground / garden of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation Hyderabad till further orders. This issue is in the best interest of Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.”

But this very directive was overlooked by HMC’s officer while issuing permissions for public spaces.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2024