E-Paper
Panchkula: Residents’ tussle prolongs kids’ wait for swings at MDC Sector 4 park
A section of residents from MDC Sector 4 has been demanding an open gym at the sector’s central park, nearly 1 acre in size, while another section has been against it
Children’s wait for swings at the biggest park of Mansa Devi Complex, Sector 4, continues as sparring residents of the locality have failed to arrive at a consensus over their installation despite intervention by the Haryana Human Rights Commission.
A section of residents from the sector has been demanding an open gym in the sector’s central park, nearly 1 acre in size, while another section has been against it.
Aseem Aggarwal, the father of a five-year-old, said, “The demand arose as it felt unfair for our children to not have the facility of swings in the park near our houses.”
Echoing the sentiment, Pooja Gupta, a working woman and mother of two boys, said, “We are working during the day, so cannot take our children to the far-off parks for swings and it is also difficult for our elderly parents.”
Esha Singla, mother of a four-year-old flagged safety concerns, saying she is often forced to take her child to a secluded park just to have access to swings, adding, “When there is a park right next to my house, why should I take my daughter to someplace unsafe?”
The parents said a team of municipal corporation (MC) had on May 24 come to the park to install the swings and open gym equipment, but the work was stopped amid stiff opposition by a handful of elderly residents.
Demanding swings, the parents then wrote a letter to the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), on June 1, but the group opposing their installation soon followed up by filing a civil suit before the local court, seeking permanent restraint on MC from putting up the swings.
Vaneet Kumar Sharma, the counsel representing the park management committee – which is opposing swings and comprises mostly elderly residents – cited various concerns behind their opposition. “The MC never allocates enough budgets to maintain the swings. Also, there are swings in three parks in the locality, which are not used, and then installing swings here will be a waste of money,” he said.
A committee member, meanwhile, added, “There is a question of security too, as slum-dwellers will frequent the park, raising safety concerns for senior citizens.”
On June 20, however, the court rejected the committee’s prayer for “interim stay against the MC” and observed, “There is no illegality/violation of any policy by the MC in installing swings and the officials have not misused their position in any manner”. The next month, the civic body’s executive engineer also gave an undertaking before the HHRC that swings would be installed after the monsoon season.
The commission on August 29 issued a second set of directions to install the swings, following which, the installation work started on September 8 and foundation was laid. However, Gupta said, some residents again came and got the work stopped.
On MC’s part, superintending engineer Vijay Goyal said, “We are trying to solve the matter by bringing both parties to a consensus. It will take some time.”
MC commissioner Virender Lather said the matter had come to his notice via the state child commission and he was examining it.
