Poor maintenance of Lily Square
THE Lily Square at the entrance of the Penang Botanic Gardens has been criticised of late for not being maintained as well as it should be as an attraction that welcomes visitors to the iconic gardens, which is over a century old.
As a tourist attraction, Lily Square deserves better upkeep.
The latest complaint regarding the Lily Square came from Penang resident and Botanic Gardens visitor James Froggatt from England.
Froggatt said the Lily Square was a nice attraction but given the hot climate all year round in Malaysia, tending to the pond and the lilies would naturally require a lot of work. He said when he visited the Gardens on Dec 9, the ponds looked as if they had not been cleaned for weeks.
He said the algae-covered water in the ponds were a sad sight to behold.
“There should be no excuse for not getting rid of the algae in the ponds.
“Although it is very difficult to completely remove the algae from the ponds, something should have been done to improve the appearance of the ponds,” he said.
Froggatt, who has been living in Penang for three years, also questioned why the fountains in Lily Square were not turned on.
He said if the fountains were functioning, the moving water could help get rid some of the algae.
Previously, the condition of the Lily Square also drew negative comments from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and nature lovers.
Early last month, the Garden’s authorities were also criticised by Penang Forum, a coalition of progressive public-interest civil society groups here, on its website for not keeping the attraction in order.
Penang Forum, in its statement on Nov 2, had noted that barely two months after its former curator Datuk Tengku Idaura Tengku Ibrahim left, the Gardens had taken a step backwards in maintaining the beauty and cleanliness of the place.
The Penang Forum steering committee complained about the square’s lily ponds, which were covered with water fungi or algae, dying lily plants, and a dirty storm drain running next to the square.
Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) questioned whether there were qualified botanists or experts, who were formally appointed to the management of the Gardens.
It also urged the state government to prioritise the management of the Gardens, as its true significance had long been neglected. [News link]
More articles for this topic >>>
- Penang food, culture get the thumbs up
- Taxi drivers in Penang have let the nation down
- Scrap the ‘Escape’ park
- Attacked and nearly drowned by gang of beach boys
- An open letter to Chief Minister on Penang Hill
- Ugly side Illegal hawkers giving Penang bad image
- An open letter to Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng
- Multiple ticket price for foreigners is justified
- Better ticketing system needed
