Fate of HMDA Park hangs in the air

Rajendranagar: Fate of the abandoned HMDA Park at Shivrampally hangs in the air as the officials concerned almost abandoned it, even though they were instructed by the higher-ups to protect it.

The HMDA Park, located on the dried portion of the historic Bum-Ruknud-Dowla Lake at Shivrampally, now wears a deserted look, as the nursery which existed here till recently was shifted somewhere else, leaving behind a big chunk of land completely vacant.

The park standing on a prime location abutting to National Highway 44 on the city outskirt is now a vacant land that spreads into several acres of area. It once served as the HMDA nursery full of with different variety of floral saplings, now gives a deserted look.

A report on the issue by Hans India failed to elicit any official response. The report, though, attracted the attention of Principal Secretary (MAUD) Arvind Kumar who took to his tweeter account and instructed the official concerned to visit the park and take stock of the situation.

The progress achieved was only the official visit of staff from Department of Urban Forestry to gauge the situation. He never returned to the spot since then. Earlier, there was a proposal to develop tree park and walking track, but no action was taken on it.

Officials are not available to speak on the issue and reveal what was preventing them from taking measures to protect the park. "This apathetic attitude of the HMDA officials towards the abandoned park is paving way for encroachers to seize the opportunity and grab the precious land.

Despite knowing the fact that organised land grabbing is on the rise, the officials' inefficiency to protect the government land is a clear example of immense political pressure behind the scene that is blocking the way of officials to render their duties and set up protective gears," rued Osman Bin Mohammed Alhajri, a senior Congress leader who contested as MLA candidate from Karwan constituency.