Security cameras to be installed in parks of Islamabad decided by CDA.

ISLAMABAD: The capital authorities have decided to install CCTV cameras in the city’s major parks, while a plan to improve Shakarparian as a tourist site, including restoring Lotus Lake, has also been approved.

Islamabad Chief Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed, who also holds the charge of Capital Development Authority (CDA) chairman, held a meeting with police and Safe City officials on Thursday where it was decided that cameras would be installed in parks for public security.

Mr. Ahmed, as CDA chairman, also directed the authority’s environment wing to restore the historic Lotus Lake and prepare a new layout for the Shakarparian tourist site so that local residents can enjoy the area as a recreational space.

Lotus Lake at the foot of the Shakarparian Hills was once a charming sight, owing to its pink and white flowers and surrounding greenery.

It has now been replaced with bushes and piles of mud.

“Today, during a meeting with police and Safe City project officials, we have decided that cameras will be installed at all major parks and hiking tracks for a security point of view in main areas. But, these cameras will not disturb the privacy of visitors, as they will be installed on entry and exit points for security point of view,” Mr. Ahmed told Dawn.

He said the CDA has also been directed to finalize a new layout for Shakarparian and to restore Lotus Lake.

A total of Rs200 million has been allocated for the repair and maintenance of Islamabad’s more than 220 parks, he said, and renovation work has already begun.

Work on the parks is being supervised by the newly appointed Director-General Environment Naveed Tareen, who told Dawn that grass in almost all the parks has been mowed and electricity has been restored in the main parks.

“On the direction of the CDA chairman, we did a lot of work in the parks during the last 10 days. Hopefully, we will restore all the parks in the next 20 days,” he said, adding that the environment wing and parks directorate have begun working on restoring Shakarparian and Lotus Lake as well.

“I am optimistic that we will complete the [Shakarparian] project in three weeks,” he said.

According to a statement issued by the CDA: “The decision for installation of security cameras in parks has been taken with the objective to provide a safe and secure environment to the people visiting the parks and to keep watch on vile elements.”

It said the park directorate has been directed to work in liaison with the Islamabad police in this regard.

The CDA has also decided to discourage and penalize littering by motorists on the roads.

“For this purpose, CDA has decided to work in collaboration with the Safe City project which will provide imagery of motorists littering on roads.

“The motorists littering on road detected by Safe City project cameras will be fined subsequently,” the statement said.

It said that a control room will be established for this purpose, adding that the relevant form of the CDA has been directed to work with the Safe City program to develop a workable mechanism in this regard.