Public parks to private hands

But before the government decides to lease the parks out to private sector, a set of clear-cut guidelines must be formulated and handed to the lessees. First, the parks should be accessible to all with no restrictions on anyone seeking to enter them and enjoy the better, cleaner environment. Secondly, they should provide all the necessary facilities to the public. Majority of the public parks in the capital lack adequate walkways, shades, flora and entertainment spaces. We hope the new management would employ qualified planners in order to make these parks truly useful for the visitors. And, of course, most importantly, security must be given top priority.

Lastly, the authorities may provide angling facilities where lakes occur in park areas, but commercial fishing must be prohibited.

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It is obvious that turning the existing public parks into worthwhile recreation outlets requires modern management. Let's hope the business community will make a good job of it. Overall, we would like to see more well-managed public parks in a city with increasingly diminishing breathing spaces.