Lalmatia field set for a facelift
The National Housing Authority has started renovating the 2.25-acre playground near Aarong in Lalmatia, evicting encroachers from the site.
The field, previously used for a kitchen market, is now surrounded by corrugated iron sheets as part of the renovation effort.
An NHA official confirmed that the renovation plan includes the creation of walkways, a playground, a skating zone, a temporary shed, a kids zone, two entrances, a toilet, a parking area, and a Shaheed Minar.
The project, funded by the NHA at a cost of Tk 7.2 crore, began on May 22 and is expected to be completed by December.
However, Adil Mohammad Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, criticised the design. He argued that the inclusion of a shed in the middle of the park and the establishment of a skating zone would reduce green spaces and increase concrete areas.
This would also increase the project cost and reduce groundwater recharging ability, he added. He also criticised the lack of consultation with locals and professionals before finalising the design.
In response, the NHA official told this correspondent that 3,500 trees, including Kanchan, Ashok, Neem, and others, would be planted in the field.
A small portion of the park has been reserved for entries and exits of a metro station planned for the area in the near future.
Manifa Rehnuma, landscape architect and co-founder of And ORDEN, the consulting firm for the project, defended the design.
She said the design has been prepared in a manner so that residents of the area can use it properly. The area, once a recreational hub for football and cricket, had been lost to encroachment over the years, she added.
She said the skating zone was included following demands from local skating clubs as there are no other properly designed skating parks in the area.
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