Srinagar, Sept. 3 -- J&K Peoples Democratic Party General Secretary Khurshid Alam has come down heavily on the government over what he described as a systematic assault on Srinagar's community playfields, warning that depriving young people of recreational spaces is nothing short of pushing them toward a dangerous edge.

In a statement issued, Alam flagged proposals to take over major playgrounds across the city, including Badiwudar-Eidgah, Chan Mohalla Chattabal, NIT Bagat and Chanapora.

He said that vast stretches of these spaces are being eyed for sand extraction and other non-sporting activities, which, in his words, "choke the lungs of the city's youth."

"This is a sorry state of affairs from the present dispensation," Alam said. "...