Out of total 300, more than 150 parks not fit for public & children
ARVIND SHARMA
JAMMU Tawi, Mar 30: The tall slogans of Swach Bharat Mission and Clean Jammu- Green Jammu stand exposed as more than fifty percent (50%) of the parks across all the seventy five (75) wards of Jammu are in shambles and are not properly maintained thereby defeating the purpose of setting up the parks.
Official sources informed that there are a total of three hundred (300) parks falling within the limits of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) spreading across all the 75 wards of the civic body.
They further informed that the Floriculture Department and the Jammu Development Authority (JDA) both recently handed over 170 parks to the JMC for maintenance as both these departments have not required resources and also the manpower for maintenance of the parks falling in their jurisdiction.
Out of these 170 parks, 110 were handed over to the JMC by Floriculture Department, while the JDA handed over 60 parks to the JMC for maintenance. The Floriculture Department has now only few parks with it which are spread over 20 marlas of land.
“Now, we have 300 parks across all the 75 wards to look after and maintain them properly for public use as well as for children to play,” a senior officer of the Horticulture Wing of the JMC informed the Northlines, while wishing not to be named.
He further said that out of the 300 parks, more than 150 are in shambles shambles and are not fit for public use as well as for the children.
In many parks, there bushes and unwanted weeds which have not been cleared, there is no water facility, there is lack of vehicles for lifting the garbage for disposal as it can’t be burnt, sources said.
The walkways for the people are uneven and covered by bushes in most of the parks, swing rides for the children are also not fit for use.
The official sources said that paucity of funds and improper tendering process are the main reasons due to which the parks in shambles. Each park requires funds in lakhs for proper maintenance but due to their shortage the parks are not being properly maintained.
