Shrinking green spaces leave Baramulla residents concerned

Baramulla, July 6: Baramulla, a town experiencing a surge in population and real estate development, is facing a significant reduction in green spaces. As more people migrate from rural areas and new houses spring up, the need for community parks has become more urgent than ever.

Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, a local resident, highlighting the diminishing green spaces, said, “Life in Baramulla is changing rapidly. With the population growth and ongoing constructions, we are losing our green areas.”

Baramulla's geographical constraints add to the problem. The town, shaped like a cup and encircled by mountains, offers limited room for expansion, making the preservation and creation of green spaces even more crucial.

Under such circumstances, the people of the town are pinning hope on the Lt Governor's administration that spaces like custodian land, Baramulla garages be utilised as community parks and  playgrounds so that people of the town, especially the elderly and youth, could find some solace in the form of physical activities, and social gatherings.

Shamans Manknoo, a Baramulla civil society member, while advocating for the utilisation of land abandoned or not in use for the activities like community hall, community park, or play ground, said that the in Friends colony Baramulla, around five kanals of land under Baramulla garages is not in use from so many decades.

He said this land and structure can be converted into a community park, community hall or a small children's park so that people of the area can spend quality time there during the day.

“In today's stressful life, the creation of such spaces is vital where people can have social gatherings or can indulge in physical activities. The administration, if convinced, can convert such spaces for such purposes which will be a great relief for the people of the town who are concerned about the depleting green spaces in the town,” said Shamas Manknoo.

Another resident, Muhammad Ashraf, of Kanlibagh Baramulla, stressed the necessity for community parks. “There is a need to utilise available spaces for green areas and community parks, especially with the construction boom in urban areas. We appeal to the Baramulla district administration to create community parks, which will greatly benefit the locals.”

He said in Kanlibagh Baramulla, there is a huge chunk of custodian land and local residents have made several representations to the Baramulla district administration to allot the land for the creation of the community park.

He said, as Baramulla continues to grow, the establishment of community parks is essential to ensure residents have access to green spaces. "These parks provide a place for recreation, social interaction, and environmental sustainability, making them indispensable in maintaining the town's quality of life."