A park, exclusively designed for senior citizens, was inaugurated at Chamati Land Integrated Project KMC-8 on Wednesday morning. KMC Mayor Bidhya Sundar Shakya formally opened the park amid a function today.
The park is constructed in one ropani and 14 anas of land. It also has a two-storey building, which is based on the concept of togetherness where the senior citizens can freely mingle with other people of their age and take rest.
According to the KMC, the park was specially designed for senior citizens. To attract elderlies, idols of gods and goddesses — including Maha Manjushree, Harati Mata, Mahadev, Basundhara Devi, Buddha, Mahankal, Luku Mahadya, Ganesh, Kumar and Laxmi Narayan, among others — are placed in the park.
In addition, a stupa and four stone spouts have also been constructed in the park.
The park was built in the land donated by the locals with the support of KMC, Chamati Land Integration Project and funds contributed by lawmaker of Kathmandu Constituency-8 Jivan Ram Shrestha, under the local infrastructure partner programme.
The locals in collaboration with Newa: Khala have contributed around Rs. 3 million to the project. KMC Mayor Shakya said earlier there was a confusion surrounding the construction of the park, because of which it took almost 20 years to complete.
“We have invested in the park because we want to support the locals of Chamati. Along with the park, the KMC has also blacktopped all the roads in the area,” said Shakya.
Talking about the policy and ongoing plan to protect public land, Mayor Shakya said that more than 70 public parks are being constructed in Kathmandu.
The metropolis had made such a plan to identify and reclaim all encroached public land and protect it by constructing the parks, he added.
Highlighting the need for developing senior citizen-friendly infrastructure in Kathmandu for their comfortable living, lawmaker Jeevan Ram Shrestha said efforts should be made from today to save Kathmandu from running out of open space.
“Land donation from locals is an important aspect of park construction. We are also able to support the project. With the joint efforts of all, we have been able to execute a notable project,” he added.
Expressing his happiness over the completion of the Chamati Project, Ishwar Man Dangol, spokesperson for the metropolis and chairman of Ward No. 15, lauded the support received from the locals during the construction of the project.
Dangol said the park would be used for recreation in normal conditions and as a shelter in times of natural disasters like earthquakes.
Source : TRN,
