FAISALABAD: Seven-year-old Tehreem Fatima tries to feed two ostriches caged in Canal Park on Samundri Road, enjoying every bit of her visit to the recreational place. Taking time out of her funfilled activity, she asks her father to fetch her water. Finding no source of potable water or any refreshment around, her father tries to pacify her but she wants to quench her thirst and spend more time at the place.

Mushtaq has no option but tobring water from outside the park which lacks facilities and is hardly a place worth visiting.

The park was set up alongside the canal on Samundri Road a few years ago by the then DCO, Nasim Sadiq. It offered many facilities to the visitors and huts were built to sell eatables. Now these huts or kiosks have been reduced to rickety structures and same is the case with the water well.

One portion of the park having the cages of different birds and animals catches the attention of the visitors. However, swings andjumping table and seats installed at various points are in a bad condition.

Speaking to this correspondent, Mushtaq hit out at the authorities responsible for the upl(eep of the facility. He said there`s no eatery in the park and people have to bring refreshments from outside.

Another issue is a lack of security arrangement, he said and demanded that police ensuresecurity of visitors. He said the number of visitors to the park had reduced owing to unavailability of facilities.

Another visitor, Riaz Ahmed said the government should beautify the unpaved path of the park along with canal so that people could use it for walk or jogging.

He said scores of people living around Canal Park preferred Jinnah Park for walk and recrea-tion.

Another visitor complained the boating facility was no more there. She suggested that the PHA should improve the park and arrange spring festival here.

Ahsan Ali, a student, visited this park for the first time and said he had come here to see birds. He said the park was exquisite but it was in dire need of cleanliness.