Need to preserve public parks

There was a time when the public parks maintained by the Floriculture department used to attract the people from different areas to sit and spend their time, but since the parks have been handed over the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) here, most of the parks don’t even have flowers and are now being used as playfield by the children. The reports are coming to the fore, claiming that most of the parks are in shambles at present as there has been no permanent employee, deputed by the SMC to take care of the park. Interestingly, the parks have been handed over to SMC despite the fact that the corporation does not have adequate gardeners, who can look after the parks and make them attractive for the visitors. The locals have been pleading to ensure complete maintenance of these parks, but it is unfortunate that the employees, who are fewer in number, visit these parks once in two months to cut the grass only. These public parks are assets of the people and must be preserved by taking adequate measures in this regard. These parks especially in the congested areas of Srinagar’s Old City are very beneficial for the people, but it needs to be preserved well on time, before these parks turn completely as small playfields for the children. It is the time when the concerned SMC should either take measures in this regard or handover these parks to the Floriculture department again so that these parks are maintained well and could bring respite to the people as well.