The city council lambasted on the management of Aladdin Park for the third casualty in a short span of 45 days, on Monday. The council held the management of Aladdin Park responsible for the death of another child, Huzefa, who expired on Sunday after being struck with a wheeler train during a visit of the park on July 18, 2004.
The victim received serious injuries and was taken to Ziauddin Hospital where he breathed his last on Sunday.
The council, scathingly criticising the park's management, recalled that in similar tragic incidents occurred in the park, two more children/boys had already lost their lives.
A boy/child had lost his life after falling during a ferry ride, while one more child had died during swimming at the same site a few weeks back, they added. The council members raised the question why such tragic incidents occurred only in Aladdin Park, costing precious human lives.
They attributed negligence of the park's management responsible for the frequency of such incidents and demanded thorough inquiry of these incidents and strict punishment to those who were found responsible for it.
They observed that the park management was only commercially motivated which had nothing do with its social responsibility.
Showing their strong resentment on the CDGK and the City Nazim's reluctance to take any step to check such incidents, the members demanded of the CDGK to serve show-cause notice to the management of the park.
Replying to concerns of the council members regarding the CDGK's reluctance to take any action against the management, Qazi Saddaruddin pointed out that the CDGK had not awarded the park's contract but it was KMC administration, which signed an agreement with a private party in 1994 to render it on a 25-year lease.
However, he mentioned that despite this fact, City Nazim Naimatullah, taking strong notice of the death of a boy during a ride, visited the site a few weeks back and sealed the ferry.
The CDGK had also successfully pressed the management of the park to arrange a qualified doctor and ensure availability of ambulance to meet any eventuality, he added.
He conceded that though there were certain safety provisions provided in the agreement, the park's management were consistently violating them by not complying to ferries/rides maintenance rules and regulations.
Some other members also complained about sub-standard food being sold in the park and misbehaviour of the deputed staff.
On this, convenor of the house, Tariq Hasan, decided to constitute a council committee to look into the affairs of the park and conduct an inquiry of the incidents.
He further said that after examining the ferries/rides, the committee would be responsible to issue fitness certificates to them.
Other issues, which were also taken up during the council's session, included removal of residents from the site of proposed educational city at Supper Highway's link road, sewerage problem, etc.