Councillors are demanding that work immediately begin to convert the 44-year-old Water Garden in Salmaniya into a major tourist attraction to include a public park and nature sanctuaries.

They are demanding answers from the Manama Municipality on reasons behind delays, despite directives from Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty and Supreme Council for Women chairwoman, to implement the project.

The GDN reported in May that there were plans by the municipality for a new BD6 million state-of-the-art theme park to replace the current derelict one.

Municipality director-general Yousif Al Ghatam said well-known consultants Atkins had been hired to present a new concept for the garden.

He said the consultants had been given until next month to present their vision of the project.

'The Water Garden is a place not just for Manama residents, but people from across the country, but plans to turn it into a proper park are taking a long time,' said council chairman Majeed Millad Al Jazeeri.

'HRH Princess Sabeeka visited the park three years ago and issued directives for urgent attention and as councillors we haven't seen any plans presented to us since,' he said.

'The concept seems to be missing out here because from what I understand, being a councillor for the past nine years, is that designs don't take more than a year with red tape taken into account.

'From what I see, delays by officials doing their work as instructed is the main reason behind the park not being open for the public within the upcoming few years. Instead, it will take ages.'

Mr Al Jazeeri said the council was being bombarded by calls from people from across the country demanding answers as to when work on the new park would begin.

'They have every right to be keen to know about the fate of the place, considering that it is the biggest garden in the country and has the most number of visitors - locals and expatriates,' he said.-TradeArabia News Service