HYDERABAD: While existing parks remain in need of rehabilitation, the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC), which is the custodian of parks and playgrounds, does not have any qualms about renting out children’s Mustafa Park for staging a circus for a paltry sum of Rs2,000 per day for 20 days.

HMC sources said Mayor Syed Tayyab Hussain gave his approval on the ground that the contractor would do finishing work in the park in lieu of the permission for running the circus. Considering HMC’s logic to allow park’s use for circus, it appears that while the HMC could spend millions on desilting of storm-water drains every now and then, it does not have funds to maintain a few, if not all, parks for people especially children, of this recreation-starved city.

Hyderabad has been a victim of insanitation and neglect and HMC officers had been receiving severe criticism from retired Justice Amir Hani Muslim, head of the Supreme Court-appointed judicial commission on water and sanitation.

HMC officers’ indifference led to the removal of Syed Shahid Ali as the municipal commissioner. Even the mayor has been unable to defend himself and his officers.

The city’s Mustafa Park is located in Noorani Basti and a circus on its premises was allowed from Eidul Fitr onwards. The contractor is recovering parking fee from visitors — Rs20 for a bike and Rs40 for a car — as well. Mustafa Park spreads over a few acres. Circus was allowed on its premises last year too by HMC officers without the mayor’s nod and he had to cancel its permission halfway.

“It was given for Rs2,000 per day fee for the circus like last year. This exercise is being repeated this year again on a simple application of Mohammad Rafiq”, concedes an HMC official. He added that HMC’s taxation department approved a nominal Rs2,000 per day fee for this activity.

When it comes to enforcement of writ, the city mayor is considered ineffective. For every petty issue he would try to pass the buck to someone else. Even during judicial commission’s visits to the city, he was found taking refuge behind weak arguments in response to commission’s queries.

Mr Hussain has been criticised by his party colleagues within the council and his party, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. Only recently at an Iftar dinner here, MQM-P’s senior deputy convener Amir Khan had warned the mayor and deputy mayor to “mend their ways” failing which the party could take a decision.

“Without a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the director parks such permission can’t be granted. A note sheet is prepared for any such permission. But there is no NOC in this case and director parks forwarded application for permission to the mayor who approved it. The taxation department also didn’t take it serious and okayed it for Rs2,000 for this blatant misuse of park which otherwise needs rehabilitation,” remarked another HMC source.

The park was one of those facilities developed by former MQM-backed district nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil between 2005 and 2009. The famous Rani Bagh was developed by him as well at a cost of Rs150m besides Hussainabad Park, Baby Afza family Park, Arif Hussain ground, Mustafa Park, Mehran ground, Barrage Colony ground, Unit-6 Latifabad’s Nursery Park, Pucca Qilla Park, Nasim Nagar Park and Bhitai Nagar Park.

Successive HMC administrators also did not take the state of these parks seriously. Conditions of parks did not improve even after local government elections. The incumbent mayor is not able to get development works of Quaid-i-Millat Park off the Autobahn Road done. He had got its works approved as member National Assembly from Latifabad constituency. Millions of rupees have been spent on it so far.

Director parks Mohsin Shaikh said the park was given for circus for 15 days after the applicant/contractor said that he would provide underground water supply, finishing and some soil work for the park. He said 20 days’ permission was sought, but the mayor allowed it for 15 days. He informed that Baby Afza Park near Board Stadium and Quaid-i-Millat Park were witnessing some work, but the rest of the parks needed rehabilitation. “They are in bad shape,” he said.

Rashid Anjum, member of council’s parks committee, told Dawn that “I had objected to grant of permission for using Mustafa Park for commercial purposes. I believe at least we should not destroy anything if we are not able to develop them”.

Conditions of old parks indicate that slides, swings and other replicas of animals have been destroyed and benches are broken. Grass is non-existent. People avoid visiting them. “These parks in several cases are home to drug addicts,” said a resident.

HMC sources claim that gardeners are not performing their duties in parks as they work at different officers’ homes. The green belts in Units 7 and 8 of Latifabad are being used by eateries’ owners for parking of vehicles as HMC looks the other way. Fences around green belts have disappeared.

The Hyderabad mayor did not attend phone calls despite repeated attempts.

Published in Dawn, June 20th, 2018