HYDERABAD Visitors will find entirely a new Rani Bagh when they will start visiting after its formal inauguration by Sindh Governor Dr. Ishrat ul Ebad Khan on Saturday evening (today) as Hyderabad`s interior Sindh`s famous recreation spot, has been completely transformed.
Having spent Rs150 million on its complete refurbishment and renovation, the district government plans to hand it over formally to Taluka Municipal Administration (TMA) Qasimabad on Saturday at the opening ceremony of this recreation resort which people would love to visit if properly maintained in future.
Undoubtedly a step in right direction on the part of district government to provide healthy recreational environment to people of Hyderabad and its adjoining districts, Rani Bagh will serve as a important spot with its eye-catching view for families and people to relax following its complete renovation and redesigning.
Sprawling over 58 acres the Bagh had gone to the dogs until the recent past thanks to official neglect and with no one in successive governments bothering to preserve this historic and the only resort for recreation starved people. District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil had to raise cost of project from Rs50 million to Rs150 million as he promised quality recreational facility to people.
You can have a full view of garden from any corner. Iron fencing and boundary walls have been erected as well but the authorities are need to pay due attention to elimination of stray dogs that could be seen in some corners. No one knows when they could become dangerous or harmful for visiting children and families.
The garden remained water-logged, while the municipal zoo had nothing to offer to visitors and birdwatchers. So bad was the condition of the zoo and its animals` cages, that the left out animals had to be shifted to Karachi after heavy monsoon rains of in September 2006, inundating Rani Bagh and the municipal zoo besides some urban settlements.
A resident of the city would feel elated to have such a beautiful spot in the city`s centre which is approachable from all four talukas of Hyderabad and connected districts. Two central entrances have been created for the Rani Bagh one at Fatima Jinnah road end and the other at Qasimabad side. TMA will have to charge a reasonable fee from visitors to meet the recurring cost of maintenance and upkeep of such a huge infrastructure that has been put in place now.
Both the `garden` and the zoo have been given a new look with comfortable pathways all over to provide families as much as they like to relax in an open environment. Children`s play area which had been non-existent for a quite long time has now been re-established. A number of small canopies are also there. Two filter plants have been installed. Then there are 13-fountains to add to the beauty of the place amidst a myriad of milky bulbs that dotted the pathways which would serve as perfect jogging and walking tracks as well.
Abdul Aleem Ghori, the deputy project director of Hyderabad Development Package (HDP) under which this task was accomplished, said that around 2,000 new plants are planted there and a trackless and a provision of trackless train has been added which TMA Qasimabad would be able to arrange through private sector. He said that tiled drainage has been laid to overcome salinity and water logging in garden which would improve grass`s quality.
New and big cages are built for rare and imported species like vervet monkey, blue monkey, yellow baboon, grey parrot, black buck, mafloon, alpaca, zebra, lama poney horse, blue, green wing and gold macaw (parrots), black, fallow, spotted, white fallow (deer) which are provided Taaz zoological breeding and research Karachi in collaboration to district government. The animals including a lioness are being brought back to the zoo from Karachi at a cost of Rs11 million. An artificial lake on 50,000 square foot area has been created for boating for children.
The adjacent open air theatre - popular place for stage-dramas - Eid Gah and Abbas Bhai Park are also refurbished. People have started thronging Rani Bagh after coming to know about its renovation. However, they were denied entry on Friday for finalisation of inaugural ceremony`s arrangements that are being given final touches.
Abbas Bhai has been blatantly used for marriages. It was even let out to a caterer. One sincerely hopes that it will no longer be available for marriage ceremony of anyone, however high or mighty he may be.
But then there is a report that a federal minister is planning to hold a marriage function of his son in the next months, probably in the first week in Abbas Bhai Park.