Lamenting the destruction of gardens in Shiraz, Fars Province as an unfortunate tragedy, a member of the Shiraz City Council, Ali Torabi, rued property owners are duped by wily individuals to sell their property.
“They end up selling their gardens to people who demolish the beautiful historical sites.”
Lack of planning, combined with poor management and monitoring in recent years has damaged the natural texture of Shiraz, ISNA quoted the official as saying.
“Under the guise of tourism, these people demolish the structures to develop modern buildings,” Torabi said, adding that Shiraz’s main attraction is its rich history and ancient buildings.
Pointing to the illegal change in function of over 20 hectares of Shiraz’s gardens, Torabi said a shady group had signed an agreement with Shiraz Municipality officials in charge at the time to change the use of the lands. “Much to our dismay, the agreement was approved by the mayor.”
He asserted that repurposing lands go against the principles of sustainable urban development in Shiraz and urged judiciary officials of Fars Province to take action and put an end to the destruction of the city’s gardens.
