Srinagar: The two parks in Srinagar which are under the irrigation and flood control (I&FC) department — Jhelum View Parks on the river embankment — are crying for maintenance.
Officials say that lack of funds and shortage of manpower in the department is the reason why the parks are not being looked after as they should be.
Chief Engineer at I&FC department Iftikhar Kakroo told Kashmir Reader that there is no particular manpower and funds for maintaining the two parks.
“These parks are being maintained on our annual budget and by our regular employees, although it is not their job to look after these parks,” Kakroo said.
“If the government releases some money for their maintenance, it will be good. There is money for new projects but not a single penny for maintenance of existing projects,” he added.
“Although parks do not come under our mandate, but the department owns land in some places where we have established parks. But lack of funds and manpower affects their upkeep as these parks need regular maintenance,” Kakroo said.
However, he said, work will soon start on cutting the grass and removing weeds.
Furkaan Ahmad, a local resident, said, “These two riverside parks are in a shambles, which otherwise are meant for public recreation. Weeds have engulfed both the parks, so much so that there is no space where people can sit,” he further said.
According to official data, Srinagar city has 169 parks covering about 287 hectares. The minimum green area in the city should be 570 hectares, according to the Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (URDPFI) guidelines, 2015.

NAZIMA SIDIQ