A green paradise lost

Bagh Ibne Qasim, merely a shadow of its former glory, is filled with garbage and rotting plants

KARACHI:

Instead of fragrant roses and lush green grass, the pungent stench of rotten fruit, vegetables and heaps of garbage now welcomes visitors at Bagh Ibne Qasim, commonly known as Bin Qasim Park, a large urban park in Clifton 

The lights, pavement and benches are broken and trashcans are scarce. Developed under the supervision of the then city Nazim, Mustafa Kamal, and inaugurated by former President Pervez Musharraf in 2007, the park, spanning 130 acres, gained massive publicity at the time. Despite the Rs600 million spent on it, there are no gardeners, sweepers or watchmen to look after the park.



"After a long day's work I spend the night here, and have been doing so for the last three months. The absolute darkness sometime scares me, because there is not a single light. All them have been stolen or damaged," said Faqeer Muhammad, a labourer from Southern Punjab. According to him, many drug addicts have taken shelter in the park.

The dried out grass and plants made it evident that no one had watered them for a long time. The piles of garbage provided further evidence of the park's neglect. "Despite its pitiful condition, the park attracts visitors. A lot of people come on Sunday with their families, but there are no facilities, such as toilets, available," said Muhammad Ayoub, a pushcart vendor who has sold biryani for the last five years. "There were around 24 washrooms, but all have been closed and thousands rose plants have been ruined," he said, adding that initially there were tickets required to enter the park and security would man the entry and exit points.

Bagh Ibne Qasim, once abundant with flora and fauna, is now home to drug addicts and rubbish. PHOTOS: AYSHA SALEEM/EXPRESS

"I used to work here but have now stopped because no one has given us a salary for the last year. The same situation is faced by watchmen and others," said a 50-year-old in a KMC uniform, who wished to remain anonymous. "If you came two years ago, you would have seen workers trimming the plants, watering flowers and trees, picking up garbage and keeping a watchful eye on the visitors," he said. "I salute you if you find a single dustbin here or an electric pole to supply power to this park. Everything has come to a standstill because of the lack funds," he said.

In the meantime, two cops patrolling on a bike arrived and asked what the problem was. They kicked the bike over and ran, however, when asked who has stolen and damaged the park's infrastructure. "These cops come to harass couples. They don't bother with the park's security," said a visitor.

When contacted, most of the KMC officials, including the Karachi administrator, failed to provide a proper reason for the park's deplorable condition. KMC's director parks and horticulture, Niaz Ahmed Soomro, however, while speaking to The Express Tribune, blamed the situation on a politically appointed contractor.  "Everything was fine until last year when the contract to maintain this park was given to a man affiliated with a political party," he alleged, adding that the directorate of parks released funds to the private company run by the influential man, but he did nothing.

Bagh Ibne Qasim, once abundant with flora and fauna, is now home to drug addicts and rubbish. PHOTOS: AYSHA SALEEM/EXPRESS

"Instead of employing the full strength of staff to maintain the park, he only hired a few people and pocketed almost all the funds. He has now gone into hiding," he claimed, adding that they had prepared a comprehensive feasibility report to revive the park and started work, only to suspend it due to a lack of funds. Soomro, however, had no idea of the budget needed every year to maintain the park, nor did he mention the sum released to the private contractor.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 29^th, 2015.