SPEAK UP: Delhi’s parks need to be reclaimed

While talks of making the national capital a Smart City have been going on for a while, restoring the neighbourhood parks, an important aspect of urban planning and social security, has been missing from the development agenda.

In most parts of the capital, the neighbourhood parks paint a grim picture of what is meant to be a recreational space. Uneven grass, garbage dumped in corners, broken and rusting swings and benches, poorly-lit and often unsafe sums up the state of most parks in Delhi

The city has around 14,000 neighbourhood parks and open spaces under various agencies — municipal corporations, Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Delhi government. However, lack of maintenance and poor infrastructure defines the state of most of these public parks.

As a result, most parks have become safe havens for anti-social elements.

Astha Kunj, a huge public park located in south Delhi’s Kailash Colony area, is a case in point, as it is now known as a den of criminals. It is only now that the DDA has announced a scheme of reviving it as a theme park.

Security is an important issue for parks, as many Delhiites, especially elderly residents, have talked about feeling unsafe about taking a walk even in …read more