KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Srinagarites will have to wait for a whole one year before they will get to see much-publicized facelift of iconic Pratap Park at Lal Chowk.
The Floriculture department had outsourced the refurbishment of park to Godfrey Phillips India Ltd working in collaboration with an NGO, Help Foundation.
Notably, the authorities had cut down poplars in the West side of the park making it worth use of public; while that part was thrown for public the rest of the park was face-lifted: first there was soil filling after which concrete paths were constructed out of tiles.
However, on 6th August – a day after the work done – bulldozers razed tiled pathways inside the park to “formally initiate a facelift project” that would see the iconic park being re-done along an elaborate beautification plan.
But ever since, a huge mass concrete and debris has been piling up in the middle of the park, much to the annoyance of public. Visitors complained of inconvenience due to the shabby condition of park. “It looks like as if grenade has exploded at this place,” said Athar, a visitor. “What purpose will the facelift serve now?”
This pile of rubble doesn’t look aesthetically good, complained another visitor. “At least we had that pathway to walk on, now water enters our footwear when we walk on the grass,” she added.
One of the members of Help Foundation told Kashmir Life that the pile would be gradually removed. “There is work going on in the park and the debris would be removed gradually,” he said. He further said that the Park would be refurbished fully by June next year.
