Parks are shared public spaces that are used for exercise and various recreational activities, and they are common assets of society. They serve the purposes of reducing pollution, enhancing biodiversity, and providing a window to escape from stressful urban life. Given the role, parks should not only be safeguarded, but should also be given special attention to make them more beautiful and accessible to the public.
In Lahore, the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has been entrusted with the mandate to maintain and preserve the beauty of public parks. The authority is doing a good job by maintaining some big parks in the city, but, surprisingly, all such parks are situated in posh localities. Interestingly, when it comes to the parks that are located in other localities, the PHA prefers to look the other way.
An alarming trend has emerged in recent years. The PHA rents out many parks falling under its jurisdiction for wedding events. The practice may gene-rate revenue for the PHA, but it is seriously damaging the beauty and flora of those parks.
Moreover, the adjacent roads often become congested due to parked vehicles and wedding-related activities, which creates problems for commuters and area residents.
One wonders who has given the PHA the mandate to rent out public parks for wed-dings. Is the PHA authorised to allow someone to use a particular road for wedding-related activities? Why has the government turned a blind eye to this practice that is seriously hurting the aesthetic and environmental value of Lahore’s parks?
ATIF KHALID BUTT
LAHORE
