Parks in Rajouri, Poonch become picnic hot spots
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Poonch, July 31
With the dark clouds of militancy starting to wane away, people in this insurgency-hit border township are taking to the parks for amusement and relaxation. What makes the experience wonderful for the people is that the parks remain open till late evening which allows residents to enjoy in the hours which were once considered to be quite dangerous for the people to venture outside due to the fear of falling prey to some militancy-related incident.

Expressing happiness over the declining militancy in the state which has allowed them to take to the parks even in the late evening hours, locals are now hoping that the local administration undertakes some more beautification of the already existing parks as well as the construction of new parks in the areas having potential to attract more people. They hoped that even as a majority of the parks lack proper facilities, the government with active support of the Centre would supplement the facilities in these parks.

“There are two major parks in Poonch - Preetam Park and Krishan Chander Park - besides a lush green ground at Raja Memorial. During militancy, a few people used to go to these places even during the day time, but after security situation has started improving in our area following the decline in the number of militancy-related incidents, people are flooding these parks,” said Farooq Ahmed Dar, a local resident. “However, the facilities in these parks are not up to the mark and we hope that the government with financial support from the Centre will improve the facilities at these parks and also construct new parks, in the areas having potential to attract people, where there are none.

Rahil Khan, a child, who was enjoying at Krishan Chander Park, said it was good that parks in Poonch remained open till late evening now. “During militancy, our parents fearing insecurity would confine us within the four walls of room, but now with the things changing in the state, they don’t mind allowing us to visit parks even during late evening,” he said. “We are quite happy with the change in the security scenario in the state and hope that the things continue to change in our state for better”.

Deputy commissioner, Poonch, Muhammad Afzal, told The Tribune that it was quite heartening to see a huge rush of people in the parks in Poonch town. “With the security situation in my area of responsibility witnessing a positive change, people in huge numbers are visiting the parks and that too till late in the evening. Given the huge rush of people to the parks, we have proposed the augmentation of facilities in the existing parks as well as the construction of new ones,” Afzal said. In the neighbouring Rajouri town, Zanana (women) Park in the town area, too, registers a huge rush of people in the evening. Since there is a huge rush of people in the parks in the evening hours, rehri wallahs, too, are making merry.

“With the things racing back to normalcy in the state, people in large numbers are visiting the parks which has impacted our business in a positive way,” said Vijay Kumar, a vendor, who sells “gol gaffas” at the Zanana Park in Rajouri.