Lack of maintenance renders Batamaloo Public Park defunct

Srinagar, July 21: The decades-old Batamaloo Public Park has been rendered defunct for want of maintenance.

The locals said that the major public space catering to thousands of households has become a shabby place where dogs and stray cattle are roaming around.

The locals said that for decades, the park was an important spot for holding important events for the locality.

The locals said that last year, authorities carried out some maintenance work, but the project was left unfinished, which has created problems for the locals. The park needed to be brought to a proper level and maintained properly, which was not done by the concerned authorities. The park is at a low level, and necessary earthfill is important to ensure its maintenance, which was not done so far,” locals said.

The local Mohalla committee in the area said that despite reaching out to authorities several times, the work on the ground is not done. They said that for want of final touches of work in the park, the park has been rendered defunct.

“The Srinagar Municipal Corporation carried out some development work last year but did not complete it. The major work that needs to be done includes filling the park so that it is brought to a proper level. Without that, the park is waterlogged most of the time during downpours. The park has become a grazing ground for animals, and it is often full of dogs,” Habibulla Bhat, head of the local Mohalla committee, said.

The locals said that important community events, including marriage ceremonies, condolence meetings and social events, used to be held in the park, which is now defunct. They said that the congested areas are already suffering due to the absence of a functional community hall, and this issue has added to their problems.

“It used to be a good option for recreation for children and elderly alike. People used to utilise it for exercise and jogging, and now they have nowhere to go. This issue has also defaced the area,” said another local.

The locals said that the park was built in the 1960s and has been catering to thousands of locals at Batamaloo and adjacent areas like New Colony Batamaloo, Bonpora, Shah Faisal Abad, Diyarwanim, Firdousabad, and adjoining areas.

Greater Kashmir did multiple stories on the issue. The officials from SMC said that they have carried out the majority of the work and that the remaining work will be carried out shortly.