Dearth of open space chokes city life [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Dearth of open space chokes city life

Local November 20, 2016

Most of the open spaces under Dhaka North City Corporation have remained in an abandoned state while others have gone to the grabbers, leaving hardly any recreational facilities for more than 40 lakh of its residents.
Influential quarters have occupied parks and playgrounds while in many cases the city authorities themselves have set up structures on the spaces, compromising the main goal of public refreshment.
The city corporation officials have spoken of having 36 open spaces including 21 parks, five children’s parks, seven playgrounds and three Eidgahs.
‘But we maintain only three parks and know nothing about the others,’ said Humayun Kabir Khan assistant, social welfare officer of DNCC.
Under their jurisdiction area, some eight to ten parks are maintained by local organisations such as different societies and clubs where others are lying uncared-for.
Meanwhile, dozens of dwellers, when contacted, bemoaned the authorities’
utter failure to ensure minimum facilities in the open spaces that could attract them.
‘Only society members can use our parks,’ said Omar Sadat, secretary of Gulshan Society, adding that as city authorities failed to ensure quality park facilities, they renovated the park on their own.
Some other parks including Baridhara Lakeside Park and Baridhara Park also are maintained by the local organisers with limited access.
Bangladesh Planners Association president Abul Kalam said open spaces should be maintained by city corporations as they collect tax for the purpose and the places should remain open to all.
In violation of contract, DNCC has allowed Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority to install pumps inside many parks while clubs have been allowed to construct buildings inside the facilities.
The regulatory body of Dhaka’s north zone has also set up community centres, dumping yards and even offices of its councillors and other establishments inside the parks.
Some parks are under threats of encroachment, whereas many in the meantime have lost their essential features, with the authorities turning a blind eye to such matters.
At Mirpur, Harun Mollah Park, Eidgah and Playground, meant for public use, local influentials now use it as a venue for a fair of garment products without permission.
Inside the park, a community centre has already been set up by the city corporation, where local councillor and the Pallabi police have an office there.
The only park for Moghbazar residents has already disappeared. Nayatola Children’s Park is being used as offices of ward 35 and 36 councillors.
Shaheed Abdul Wahab Memorial Library and a pump house of Dhaka WASA are also inside the park along with several dustbins to fill the remaining part.
A park at Karwanbazar beside DNCC zone-5 office is now only in paper. DNCC is using the space as its garbage truck depot.
Local residents have demanded that the authorities give life to the park immediately and make it useable with enough recreational facilities.
When contacted, the corporation chief executive officer, Mesbahul Islam, however, looked optimistic as he said they recently undertook a mega project to renovate open spaces.
‘City people will enjoy recreational facilities in open spaces soon,’ he hoped.
According to experts, parks and open spaces help improve people’s physical and psychological health, strengthen communities and make cities and neighbourhoods more attractive to live and work in.
Urban planners believe parks help relieve stresses of urban life and put both rich and poor on the same wavelength.
According to a Dhaka metropolitan development plan, DNCC has about 12 per cent open space whereas a city needs at least 25 per cent, said Tariq Bin Yusuf, superintendent engineer (environment circle) of the city corporation.
According to World Health Organisation, there should be at least nine square metres of green space for every individual in the urban settings — an estimation that varies by several orders of magnitude.