City park a dumping ground

The Chittagong city corporation is regularly dumping garbage and mud into Jatisangha Park in the port city's Panchlaish area, ostensibly for levelling it. There was a time when this was a place rich in greenery, with benches and walkways for people to relax and get in touch with nature. Those days are long gone now. Not only has it become a dumping ground for rubbish, there is virtually no maintenance. Walkways are too slippery to walk on, benches are broken and it currently looks more like a landfill than an area for recreation for local residents.

Why this lack of care? Going by what has been reported in this newspaper, the park is supposed to be maintained by the city corporation. If there is a lack of funding for the proper maintenance of this public space then that should be forthcoming, because like the capital city, the port city too is suffering from the steady grabbing of public spaces by unscrupulous real estate agents.

Rapid urbanisation is a reality in Bangladesh and very few parks are found in any city, and Chittagong is not an exception. Given that city residents have very little by way of a breathing space, it is imperative that city officials make proper financial allocations to restore the park to its original state quickly, replete with playground equipment for children and proper facilities for adults. A little bit of heaven in an ever-expanding concrete jungle will be a welcome reprieve for the residents of the area.