Mayor directs parks department to continue working during lockdown

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar has asked the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s (KMC) parks and horticulture department to continue working during the lockdown in order to ensure that plants and trees at the parks are not affected due to lack of care.

Presiding over a meeting related to parks and plantation, Akhtar asked his subordinates to call staffers below 55 years and provide them all the precautionary kits so that they could look after the plants on a regular basis.

KMC Metropolitan Commissioner Dr Syed Saif ur Rehman, Coordination Senior Director Masood Alam and other officials were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, the mayor had visited the Frere Hall, lauded the staff working there and urged them to adopt all the preventive measures. He asked the parks director not to call employees of over 55 years of age as per the standard operating procedure set by the government.

He also directed that trees on 106 roads of the city should be watered along with green belts. "Trimming of trees should also be done for further beautification," he added. Akhtar said that it was necessory to look after all the parks including Baghe Ibn e Qasim, Jheel Park, Hill Park, Gulshan-e-Jinnah, Bagh-e-Jinnah and Aziz Bhatti Park.

Akhtar also appreciated the parks department's employees for their great work. Speaking on coronavirus, the mayor the situation was very much in control in Karachi but the guidelines still needed to be followed. The metropolitan commissioner said uplift work was in progress at 62-acre Kidny Hill Park and hundreds of saplings planted there had become trees. He said the park would be hopefully opened for the public after the lockdown.