Failure of authorities turns only Public Park of Kupwara town into a car parking slot as the existing two parking slots are being used for other purposes.
The Public Park was constructed by Lolab-Bungus-DrungyariTourism Development Authority in 2010 at a cost of Rs 22 lakh
“Now we don’t have any place where we can wait or spend ourleisure time,” Tariq Ahmad, a local resident said.
Municipal Corporation Kupwara (MCK) has already set up twoparking slots in the town: one at Lolab-bypass and another at Darzipora. Lakhsof rupees were spent on their construction but these have never been used forthe parking purposes.
The Darzipora slot is being by Load carrier vehicles astheir stand. “If this place could have been used for the purpose of parking forwhich it was built, it would have eased the traffic,” said Mudasir Ahmad, alocal resident.
The locals said that with the facilitation by theauthorities, the vehicles coming from the Trehgam, Chowkibal, Regipora,Karihama and other areas can park at the Darzipora slot. Similarly, thevehicles coming from Lolab area can park at Lolab-bypass, and main Bypass road.
“It is the failure of the authorities who fail to use theseslots for parking and turn the only public park into a parking slot,” saidTahir Ahmad, a shopkeeper at Jamia road.
“The decision was taken by the authorities of MunicipalCommittee and District Administration Kupwara,” said the Executive Officermunicipal committee Kupwara. “There was no space for parking in the town whichforced us to use the park for parking,”