PHA allocates Rs1.6b for beautification projects

The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has announced its beautification plan for the city for the new financial year 2022-23. All these projects funded by the Punjab government and private sector will be completed at a cost of Rs1.60 billion.

Under the project, 54 amusement parks will be upgraded and a theme park will be constructed at Allama Iqbal Park. The parks will feature a gymnasium, cinema theater, zoo, zip line and jogging tracks. The security at all the recreational spots will be enhanced through the installation of CCTV cameras.

Most importantly, Rawalpindi Cantonment's 200-year-old and Asia's largest bazaar Tench Bhatta Bazaar will also receive a makeover.

PHA Chairman Asif Mehmood told The Express Tribune that they have made Rawalpindi the most beautiful city in Punjab with minimum government expenditure and cooperation of the private sector. He said that beautification and landscaping have been done on every road of Rawalpindi, two Miyawaki forests have been planted and Allama Iqbal Park has been made the centre of all recreational places and the most beautiful.

Sharing details of the beautification project, he said that a gymnasium, cinema theater, zoo, zip line, swimming pool will be constructed at Allama Iqbal Park at a cost of Rs705 million. A multi-purpose and multi-storey complex will be constructed at a cost of Rs200 million.

He added that amounts of Rs70 million for the up-gradation of parks and Rs70 million for further beautification of the city have been earmarked, while completion of underground water tanks in two parks for conservation of rainwater will also take place.

Other parks will also have new underground water tanks at a cost of Rs180 million for rainwater harvesting.

An amount of Rs125 million has been allocated for up-gradation of all small-scale nurseries of PHA to large-scale ones.

Tench Bhatta Bazaar, which is considered one of Asia's oldest and longest trading centre, has no basic facilities. “We have allocated Rs258 million to renovate and preserve the ancient culture of Tench Bhatta Bazaar. We will install tuff tiles, new lights and a tower square will also be constructed. Separate toilets will be constructed for ladies” said the chairman.

The chairman said that despite the lack of funds in the last three and a half years, the authority has made Rawalpindi a beautiful city through renovation and upgradation of various landmarks.

All 200 pillars of the metro bus track have been beautified, while Murree Road, Rawal Road, Airport Road, Liaquat Road, Kachehri Chowk Road from Merid Chowk have been beautified with landscaping, as well as green areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th, 2022.