Stray dogs dig up green spaces of Srinagar’s Joggers’ Park

Srinagar: Raj Bagh’s Joggers Park was considered a peaceful destination, especially for morning walkers and nature lovers. However, the park has been fully ruined due to negligence on the part of park management, as stray dogs have totally controlled the park; they are free to roam and engage in numerous activities, such as digging up the green zones and destroying the elegant lawn as well as flower beds. Unfortunately, the Floriculture Department is tight-lipped on this issue.

There was a time when the park was known for its charming beauty. The smoothness of the ground is the story of the past now. Pits have been created by dogs all-round the park. Visitors found it difficult to jog easily. Despite the watchman’s quarters inside the park, the stray dogs easily enter into the park because of carelessness on the part of authority.

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Regular visitors are disappointed amid worsening conditions of the park. “Instead of enjoying a peaceful walk, we now have to watch out for aggressive dogs and broken pathways. The authorities have completely abandoned this place,” said a frequent visitor.

Local residents have blamed the Floriculture Department for the negligence and never tried to take any action to improve the situation. One of the parkgoers openly said that ‘here people come to relax, but now it has turned out to be a shelter for stray dogs.’

The situation of the park has been deteriorating due to inaction on the part of concerned authorities. Visitors have complained to the administration several times to take stern action and restore the park’s old glory so that people can get fresh and clean air.