Tk 10cr project to develop DC Hill Park with added facilities
Development Project Plan will be submitted to ministry concerned within a day or two
Chittagong Development Authority (CDA) has taken a project to develop DC Hill Park with added facilities on an increased area, much to the elation of those longing for open air or holding programmes on different occasions. CDA will develop the park under a beautification and development project with an approximate budget of Tk 10 crore to be implemented within a year. CDA has also prepared a Development Project Plan (DPP) in this regard. DC Hill Park is the lone open space-cum-park for taking stroll or holding programmes marking different festivals or national days in the city. Hundreds of people visit the park every day. But, the park can hardly make room for the huge crowd and audiences during the national days like Ekushey February, Pahela Baishakh, Independence Day, Victory Day or different religious festivals, they said. Despite having an area of 5.2 acres of land, the park is facing space shortage since a huge valley on the eastern side of the DC Hill has been left detached and unused. A road runs through the park to two hilltop bungalows of deputy commissioner and divisional commissioner. A significant portion of the open space beside the road could not be developed for the visitors in consideration of the privacy and security of the bungalows of the two high government officials, said the sources at CDA. As such, under the beautification and development project CDA plans to construct a tunnel connecting the valley with the park on the north. An open air theatre would be developed on the valley with an entry on the east, they said. After completion of the project the park along with the open air theatre would be able to accommodate at least two programmes at a time. Under the project the road leading to the deputy commissioner and divisional commissioner's bungalows would have a separate entry point on the south of the hill (to the west of divisional forest office) to bypass the park. The park-end of the road would be closed in the west to ensure security and privacy of the residents of the bungalows and enable the park have more space as well. The recovered space would help CDA develop additional rows for sitting arrangements on a few more slabs and enable the park hold more audiences during the programmes, said Maharina Jafrin, a senior CDA architect. She said they will also widen the roads and sidewalks surrounding the park on three sides -- south, west and north -- with some parking facilities outside the park. While talking to this correspondent on Monday CDA Chairman Shah Muhammad Akhteruddin said the project in consideration of the huge significance of the park that serves as a lone open space for holding any function or programme on the occasion of any religious or national festival. He said a small space on the southwest corner of the park, just opposite to the Buddhist Temple, would be left open for the Buddhist people to release “Fanush” (flying candles) during their festivals. He said after taking initiative following suggestions and guidelines from the newly elected Awami League lawmaker Engineer Mosharraf Hossain CDA has prepared the DPP, which would be submitted to the ministry within a day or two.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments