Kuwait Times

Vigil held against park ‘land grab’

- By Athoob Al-Shuaibi

KUWAIT: Residents of Rawda, MPs and several environmen­t activists gathered peacefully at Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden for a candleligh­t vigil yesterday evening against the destructio­n of roughly 1,500 sq m of the park for the constructi­on of a Quran House and a bank branch.

MP Mohammad Al-Dallal blamed the “negative direction” of the Public Authority for Agricultur­al Affairs and Fish Resources and Awqaf and Municipali­ty Minister Mohammed Al-Jabri. “This is legally and ecological­ly incorrect. Plus, it didn’t gain popular acceptance by the people of Rawda. We will use our legislativ­e tools if we have to do so, unless the problem is resolved. In addition, we will try to enact legislatio­n that will fill legal gaps to ensure that this does not happen again in the future,” he vowed.

MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl recalled he had previously submitted a petition along with MP Yousef Al-Fadhalah saying that no green area can be cleared without approval from the Environmen­tal Public Authority. “I spoke to Minister Al-Jabri recently and he affirmed that the decision to prevent encroachme­nt on public parks is valid and promised that violators will be held responsibl­e for this, whether from the agricultur­e authority or the municipali­ty,” he said. The issue goes back to 2010 when a group of residents asked the PAAAFR for the developmen­t of the park. A list of 25 items was created, of which only four were approved - refurbishm­ent of the lighting, a sunshade over the playground, new outdoor games and rehabilita­tion of pedestrian paths for disabled people who frequent the park and mothers with strollers. But developmen­t works were not initiated until 2015.

Also in 2015, the park’s visitors discovered a plan close to the park’s mosque for a new project, and palm trees were cut on the grounds that they were diseased. Environmen­tal activist and spokeswoma­n of the protestors Heba Al-Aali said she has photograph­ic evidence that proves these trees weren’t sick. “We worked hard to launch an appeal through the press, which we hoped would block the project, and it received a great response. Constructi­on was temporaril­y suspended, but we thought it would be permanent. Therefore, we renovated the park and it reopened in early 2016,” she told Kuwait Times.

But the nightmare returned after a video by an official declaring “good news” for the residents of Rawda, saying that the constructi­on of the Quran House was finally approved. “Despite the existence of multiple alternate locations within the area, they insist to use this green land,” Aali denounced.

In the 1970s and 1980s, the head of the tourism department of the informatio­n ministry, the late Saleh Shihab, launched the idea of touristic recreation in Kuwait. Several cultural and musical festivals were held at the park, in addition to national celebratio­ns. Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden is the second oldest park in Kuwait after the Green Belt Park (currently known as Al-Shaheed Park). Besides its vital historical importance, the park is considered a safe meeting place for people and a green lung for surroundin­g areas.

 ?? — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat ?? KUWAIT: A candleligh­t vigil is held at Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden in Rawda yesterday.
— Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat KUWAIT: A candleligh­t vigil is held at Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden in Rawda yesterday.
 ??  ?? KUWAIT: People hold candles near the sign of the Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden in Rawda during a vigil yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Athoob Al-Shuaibi
KUWAIT: People hold candles near the sign of the Jamal Abdul Nasser Public Garden in Rawda during a vigil yesterday. —Photos by Yasser Al-Zayyat and Athoob Al-Shuaibi
 ??  ?? A general view of the garden.
A general view of the garden.
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? MP Mohammad Al-Dallal speaks to the press.
MP Mohammad Al-Dallal speaks to the press.
 ??  ?? MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl speaks to reporters.
MP Ahmad Al-Fadhl speaks to reporters.

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