CHILDREN’S rides at one of Bahrain’s oldest theme parks have been deemed unsafe.
The Water Garden in Salmaniya will be shut down temporarily as urgent maintenance is set take place at the 50-year-old facility.
A section of the park comprising walkways will then be reopened, while a major revamp takes place after a public tender is issued and a budget allocated.
The revamp has been in the pipeline for several years but authorities had to wait for the current investor’s lease to expire.
“The ministry will work quickly to renovate the garden’s fence and re-establish public amenities,” said Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf in a statement yesterday.
“After the fence is completed a section of the park will be reopened that contains walkways and landscapes.
“The ministry is aiming to preserve the lakes, improve the agricultural aspects and provide everything the park needs to become the ideal place for families and attract people to Bahrain.
“The ministry is currently working on the final touches to the design of the new fence and essential facilities to implement the first phase of the development stages.
“Work will also be done to maintain the facilities and green spaces such as trees, shrubs and water bodies, and also replace the ground of the park and the lighting in addition to the development of the entrances to the park and to provide car park spaces.”
The decision was made following a meeting between National Initiative for Agricultural Development (NIAD) secretary general Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa and officials from the Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ministry, the Capital Trustees Board and other government bodies.
“The decision to close the park was made because the children’s rides were no longer safe for use and could lead to accidents,” said Ministry Under-Secretary for Municipal Affairs Dr Nabeel Abu Al Fateh.
“The investor’s contract expired in July 2016, so the ministry took the necessary steps to clear the park.”
Urgent maintenance at the garden was demanded in 2014 by councillors, who described the area as a swamp “infected with bacteria and other parasites”.
In 2011, the GDN reported on plans to convert the Water Garden into a major tourist attraction featuring rides and a natural park.
The project would have included a botanical water garden with green walkways, a bird sanctuary, green fields and a food court. A small artificial island that would have functioned as a habitat for migrating birds was also in the plans.
&uuid=(email))