Playgrounds disappearing
Monday, June 28, 2010
Lahore is the second largest city of the country. The city’s population has passed the eight million mark. This makes it the fifth largest city in South Asia and the 26th largest city in the world.
Not very long ago Lahore was home to many playgrounds. The commercialisation in recent years and apathy of authorities concerned has resulted in encroachments on many parks and playgrounds. Some are used for Sunday Bazaars while some have been turned into parking lots. Many playgrounds have been damaged due to holding of functions and marriage ceremonies there.
Pakistan lags behind other nations in most sports. Only cricket thrives and that too kids and youth play mostly on streets and city roads. Pakistan has produced a number of international cricket players who used to play in the different grounds of different towns and cities that are no longer there. Sunday Plus conducted a survey to analyse the situation.
Pakistan Cricket Board has huge budget but does not spend even a single penny on looking after the grounds the place where all the grooming of future cricketers is done. PCB wastes a lot of capital for hiring and obliging the non-professionals but maintaining grounds has never been its priority.
The historical Punjab University sports complex ground near civil secretariat is being used as parking lot. Millions of rupees spent there for making gymnasiums and cricket pavilion there now seem to have been done for a lost cause. International cricketers including senior players like Saadat Ali, Ashraf Ali, Ishfaque Ahmed, Shafeque Pappa and many others played and were groomed there.
Government Chistia High School’s ground was one of the best playing grounds but now it is full of garbage and debris. No game can be played there.
Once MAO College’s cricket ground located at Chouburji Park was considered Lahore’s mini cricket stadium where matches of repute used to be held. This playground was used for playing cricket by youngsters of Gulshan-e-Ravi, Nounarian, Rustam Park, Chouburji Park, Shaam Nagar, Sandha, Samanabad, Raaj Garh and Rewaz Gardens. But unfortunately right now there is no sports activity there. The cricket pitches have been damaged and has disappeared. The playground is being used for holding marriage functions. A boundary wall was built about five years ago to ensure that the ground may not be encroached upon.
This is the home ground of Wasim Akram, Abdul Razzaq, Imran Nazir, Attaur Rehman, Amir Nazir, Ali Zia, Amir Malik, Aleem Dar (recipient the award of the best empire for year 2009 by ICC) and many others sports personalities. The ground is being destroyed due to apathy of PCB and local government.
MPA hostel is going to be built at the Victoria ground that was once popular place for sports especially cricket. Punjab Assembly extension work is in progress. The two playgrounds near the old Assembly building have been encroached upon. Now the structure of multi-storey new Punjab Assembly building stands there. Both the grounds were popular among the youth of nearby areas. Cricket and football used to be played here.
The Waris Road ground in Mozang area is in deplorable condition. It is being used for holding marriage functions instead of sports activities. The historical ground of the Mochi Gate has been converted to parking area. The ground served as the only place for sports activities for the people of congested Walled city.
Gulberg area had several playgrounds in its residential blocks. Many grounds have disappeared and now in this area too children can be seen playing cricket on the roads. An IMAX theatre and shopping mall has been built on M.M Alam Road’s ‘doongi ground’ near St Mary’s Church.
Sunday Bazar is now regularly held at the Green Town ground. Township playground is being used as a dumping place for solid waste generated by the marble cutters operating in the nearby residential societies. Police Chowky ground in Dharampura and Gulshan-e-Ravi F-block’s children playground no more exist. Girls’ degree colleges have been built on these grounds.
Lahore Development Authority while allowing housing schemes does not stress on ensuring playgrounds in them. Playgrounds are never LDA’s priority. Most of the newly developed societies and housing schemes including Wapda Town, Tech Society, Kanal View, Green Acres Housing Society, Valencia homes, PCSIR, Eden societies, Punjab Housing Society and many others don’t have even a single playground where hockey, cricket or football could be played. All these housing societies just have little lawns and gardens.
Punjab Minister for Sports Dr Tanvirul Islam when asked to comment into the situation showed his resolve to change the situation positively even though there is no concrete plan in pipeline to do that.
“The encroachment of the city’s play grounds is a criminal act. Situation is deplorable. I have received directives from the Chief Minister to crush the encroachers’ forcefully and recover all these grounds from them. We are committed to rebuild all playgrounds as soon as possible.
“Now sports ministry will not allow new private schools, colleges and housing colonies that do not have proper playground. If anyone wants to set up a new school and housing society, he will have to show proper land for playground,” Dr Tanvir said.
“Punjab government is also striving to use the land of the Revenue department (that is called shamlat) for developing new playgrounds across the province. After indication of revenue department, Punjab government will begin making grounds where tournaments of all the games would be held in near future. These grounds will be full of sports facilities including gymnasiums. This project has been launched in 28 districts,” the minister said.
Sunday plus talked to a number of sports event organisers about the situation. “Disappearance of playgrounds is not good for the society. The nations that do not have playgrounds fail to produce good athletes. Sport is a must activity for everyone. The fight against nature brings a lot of tribulations. Government must look into this serious issue. All the playgrounds should be recovered from the encroachers,” Mian Fayyaz a sports journalist and cricket organiser was of the view.
“There is not a single playground in Wapda Town where youth could play cricket hockey and football. There used to be a playground, which they turned into a park. Part of the playground was used for making a mosque. Now there is no place where the children may play cricket or football,” a resident of Wapda Town Ali Naqvi said.
“MAO College’s cricket ground has produced so many test cricketers. Cricket, hockey and football district level tournaments. For the last 10 years this ground could not host even a single cricket match. It needs development and maintenance because of the apathy of city sports organisations and Pakistan Cricket Board. PCB should take initiative to bring this historical ground back to life,” President Faran Gymkhana Cricket Club Mian Aslam said.
LDA and PHA both must be taken on board. They have to work together for rehabilitation of the existing playgrounds. If they save the grounds the sports activities would see revival. At one time PHA’s Director General Rao Iftikhar planned to restore the Lahore’s playgrounds and parks. But the government immediately replaced him.
The government needs to announce clear policy about restoring sports activities. It is high time the rulers stop being indifferent to the problems of people.
Labels: Encroachments, Lahore, LDA, Open spaces, Playgrounds
posted by Dilshad Rao @ 9:04 PM,
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