People to the rescue

We published 12 stories on Dhaka's as many parks between April 28 and June 4 revealing how the public spaces were destroyed, occupied or threatened due to the city corporations' direct involvement or negligence. But many are still salvageable. Since we should have 92 parks, one for each ward, but have only 54, we must protect the existing ones. Today one of our two stories talks about how a park is surviving all odds. According to urban expert Prof Nazrul Islam, every 10,000 city residents need an open space of four acres -- park or playground -- for a healthy life. The second story talks about the fallout and the urgency for a remedy. This newspaper hopes that the two new mayors, keeping with their promises to build a better Dhaka, will recover the threatened parks and protect the surviving ones. With that hope we end the series for now.

Residents of Nazirabazar in Old Dhaka have taken it upon themselves to better their lives by taking care of Shikkatuli Park. The park is in a good condition when most others of the capital are either in a shabby state or are occupied.

The park comprises different types of trees that provide shade and fruits. The fruit trees include mango, jackfruit, guava, coconut and hog plum. There are also flowering trees, including bakul (Spanish cherry) and krishnachura (flame tree).

Twice a day, over 500 people, both men and women, use the park for exercise -- whether it is walking or free hand. Children, most of whom are deprived of a playground in their schools, can be seen running about and playing in the 0.3381 acre park.

Visiting the park, this correspondent found students of several schools and local children playing cricket and other games in the park.

"I came with some of my friends to play in the park during tiffin break as we do not have a playground at our school," said Sakib Hossain, student of Bangshal Government Boys Primary School.

Students of Koshaituli Muslim Academy, Millat High School, Nazirabazar Government Primary School and Bir Shrestha Matiur Rahman High School also play there. 

Zahanara Begum, who came for a stroll, said every morning and afternoon she and many other women walk in the park.

She said many diabetic patients and patients suffering from other diseases come to the park for exercise.

Mohammad Nasir, vice president of the club Shikkatuli Muslim Jubo Sangha, which maintains the park, said Majed Sardar, a member of now-defunct Dhaka municipality, established the park in 1979.

He also set up seesaws and slides for children to play on.

However, the condition of the park began deteriorating in 1990. During 1995 and 1996, the condition worsened as it became a dumping ground for rubbish due to a lack of maintenance, said Nasir.   

In 2001, ward councillor Nazir Hossain, Majed's son, cleared the park of rubbish that accumulated there. He renovated the park and built a four foot wide walkway around it.

Three years later, the councillor and the club planted around 100 trees in the park. In the following years, the club planted several hundred more trees, Nasir said.

The club also dumped soil in the park to grow grass, but the effort was wasted as the grass became damaged due to drainage work during the caretaker government's time.

Nasir said they spend around Tk 6,000 monthly for maintenance work of the park, adding that they have appointed a caretaker for the park.  

The vice president of the club said they need financial help from Dhaka South City Corporation for more development work, including widening the walkway and work to mitigate waterlogging.

Sayeed Khokon, newly elected mayor of DSCC, said he needs time to give full attention to recover parks of the city, adding that soon they would begin eviction drives.