PAMPORE: The local residents of Saffron Town Pampore in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district have accused Municipal Committee Pampore for failing to maintain various public parks in the area.
The residents told Kashmir Reader that three public parks in Tulbagh area of Saffron Town Pampore have been turned into dumping sites and subjected to illegal encroachments.
“An illegal structure has been raised in a public park at Tulbagh near site of toll tax collection point, the structure has been used for storing wood, sand, bricks and other materials,” a local resident of Tulbagh locality said, adding that Municipal Committee Pampore is sleeping over the vandalism. He said another public park in the same locality, near Gousia Masjid Tulbagh, is used for dumping garbage.”Someone has even raised a structure in the centre of this park too,” he said.
One more public park in the area, locals told Kashmir Reader, is being used by a contractor for dumping soil.
“A huge mound of soil has been piled up in the park,” he said.
The locals said as to how he was allowed by Municipal Committee Pampore employees to dump soil in the park.
Municipal Committee Pampore collects a lot of revenue by way of fees and taxes but they didn’t bother to use the amount for development of the town.
Shabir Ahmad, a local resident told Kashmir Reader that these public parks were meant for the pleasure of children but authorities from the past 8 years took no pains to keep them in proper condition.
“They are being used as dust bins, the Municipal Committee Pampore should wake up from slumber and take steps to restore them,” he said.
President Municipal Committee Pampore, Malik Yaqoob, told Kashmir Reader that he has instructed his employees to take care of the public parks in the town.
“I will take immediate action to restore the cleanliness of the parks, ” he said.
I have been sanctioned 22 crore rupees from government, you can see development of drainage, lanes and bylanes and magdizimation on various roads , I inaugurated a children’s park in Gousia colony Namblabal on Monday, Children can play there now, I appeal people of Pampore for keeping them clean, they should use dustbins,” he said.

BILAL HABIB