Daily Times

Karachi: “The construction of Icon Towers is causing extreme destruction of the Bagh Ibne Qasim” informes one of the security person, Mukesh Kumar Mehta, guarding the historic temple while sitting on the wall of the park which gives a deserted look.

Neglected by the concerned authorities; one of the largest park of the city is facing constant decline. The dilapidated condition of the park has driven the visitors away. Most of the caretakers have been fired or have found work somewhere else. The park has been turned into a den of drugs suppliers and users.

“There were around 600 security guards and more than 150 gardeners to look after the garden in day and nigh shifts”, Mehta informed saying that he also took part in the uplift of the park.

One of the shopkeepers in the area, Deewan, sitting outside the Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir, said that his business has been reduced to almost less than half because people have long abandoned the park due to its worst condition.” Earlier people would wait for hours for the opening of shops to buy juice, water-bottles and other things, now we look for the customers for hours”, he said.

“I used to work here but have but now I have stopped because no one has given us a salary for the last year”, said a 50-year-old man wearing KMC uniform, who wished to remain anonymous. “My heart bleeds when I see the condition of this park. I have worked days and nights for the development of garden now my knees have started paining”, he regretted.

Sharing his past memories, he said that the park looked like heaven where people used to visit along with their families in the evening for entertainment but now.., his voice choked, “I am speechless”.

A lonely visitor, Ismail Ahmed, who has been here for the last 12 years told that the park has neither boundary walls and nor any security therefore it has become the den for the wonderers, rogues and hooked who come here for taking drugs and for other ill-purposes.

Mukesh Kumar Mehta a security guard at the Shree Ratneshwar Mahadev Mandir said that the Icon Towers management is throwing its sewerage water into the canal system of the park which might be the reason the water being so dirty. Water of the drain comes which is going into the park is making the environment hazardous. “They have been promising to fix the opening of the channel since last year but have not fixed it yet”, he said.

The whole of the playing area and the aquarium has been destroyed because the management of Bahria Town has built an underpass for its convenience which has totally accomplished the parking area for the visitors.