Dwarka, one of the well planned projects of Delhi Development Authority, has hundreds of parks either under the authority or the municipal corporation. However, most are considered unsafe after dark by residents.
RWAs in the sub-city have demanded presence of security guards, especially for the bigger parks which witness a large number of visitors.
Residents have alleged that incidents of chain snatching, gambling and other anti-social activities have become commonplace in the parks. They have also approached police and other civic bodies to enhance security in the parks.
Joint Secretary of Association of Neighbourhood Ladies Get-together (ANHLGT) and a resident of Navratan Apartments Sector 23, Neeru Gupta said, “Parks in Dwarka are unsafe. No matter how posh the area is, security arrangements need to be strengthened. DDA should take residents’ concern into account and deploy guards in the parks.”
Sources claim that Dwarka is filled with more than 500 parks and residents of the nearby societies love to spend their free time there. However, most of the neighbourhood parks are considered unsafe after dark and people don’t like to venture there alone.
Joint Secretary of Harsukh Apartments, Sector 7, Ravi Jaitely said, “We use the neighbourhood park in Sector 7. I can say that security arrangements should be improved in parks used by senior citizens and women. Parks in Dwarka are either under the DDA or MCD and both should undertake responsibility.”
Residents said that DDA had appointed watchmen for some of the parks. However, those watchmen couldn’t be witnessed the whole day and it seemed they came only for attendance.
Anurag Bahal a resident of Shruti Apartments, Sector 7 said, “I have seen watchmen at DDA parks of Sector 11 and Sector 7. However, they don’t stay there the whole day. Further, some security guards should be present in those parks which are used mostly after dark.”
In August 2016 a DDA press release mentioned, “Chief Engineers of Zones can engage nearly fifty security guards for a period of one year to ensure security in DDA parks. Due to lack of security guards, problems like thefts, presence of anti-social elements who harass general public and damage fittings, steel grills of boundary walls, etc take place. A proposal for engagement of more than fifty security guards was placed before the Authority and Engineer Member, DDA’’.
When City Spidey raised the issue before SN Singh, Chief Engineer Dwarka, he replied that the horticulture department was not under him. He further clarified that he had no information regarding any such proposal. City Spidey also tried to contact DDA Director (Horticulture), but he wasn’t available.
