Residents slam state of pond
LOCAL residents have hit out at the maintenance of Queen’s Park pond saying it it looks like a “swamp” and “soup”.
The larger of the two ponds in the Southside greenspace is noticeably lacking in the usual birdlife as a thick scum of algae sits on top of the water.
Rubbish is also more noticeable in the pond as it sits among the layer of plant life.
Lyndsay Watson, who lives in Mount Florida, was walking her dog Charlie in the park.
The 37-year-old said: “Charlie sometimes dives into the water, which he loves, but I’ve had to be really careful to get him away from pond this week as the water is so manky that it looks like soup.
“He’s black and white but largely white and he’d be going home black and green if he got in there.
“It does tend to get bad when the weather is dry and the algae builds up but this is the worst I’ve seen it in years and years.”
Raza Mohammed is a regular in the park on walks from his break at work.
He said: “It’s not just the algae, it’s the rubbish. “Look at the state of it. “People come to get fresh air and a break with the trees and the plants but it’s so filthy.
“There aren’t even any birds on the water, which you almost never see, and there are bubbles coming up through the water. It’s not really good enough to let it look like a swamp.”
Algae is an organism that naturally lives in water but can build up if the weather is dry and there is no rain to dilute it or wash it away.
A council spokesman said: “We are aware of concerns of algae in the pond at Queen’s Park and samples will be taken to establish which kind of blooms are present.
“Algae is naturally occurring vegetation and can grow quickly in still water during drier spells.
“If toxic blue/green algae is found to be present in the pond then appropriate action will be taken to protect the public.”