Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 10: A historical park in the Preng area of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district lies in ruins, with residents blaming decades of official apathy despite repeated pleas for restoration.
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Once a major recreational spot visited by top dignitaries, including India’s first Prime Minister, locals said, the park has deteriorated into an abandoned stretch marked by broken infrastructure and overgrown vegetation.
Local resident Chowdhary Ata Muhammad Qamar said the park once held great cultural and historical importance but now stands as a reminder of long neglect.
“It has been ignored for years. If developed, it could create employment avenues, but it continues to be in a dilapidated condition,” he said.
Another resident, Wazir Shah, recalled the park’s peak popularity in the 1980s, when people from different areas, including dignitaries, frequented it.
“Over the time, it was completely ignored. With proper attention, it could again become a major attraction,” he said, urging the local MLA to intervene.
He added that tourists would visit if the park were restored. “Sindh is nearby and the scenery is beautiful, it can be a great spot for the visitor, but the place has suffered due to official apathy.”
Echoing similar concerns, Syed Zaman Shah, a local, said the park predates the formation of Ganderbal district and once attracted foreign visitors.
“Youth from the area go elsewhere for work when this place itself could have created employment opportunities,” he said, urging the Government and the MLA to act. “If the Government wants, it can turn this place into gold.”
Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad also voiced concern, saying he would take up the matter with concerned authorities.
“This should be developed as it used to be a great spot. I will raise the issue at my level,” he said.
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