Delhi: East civic body to hand over 15% parks to RWAs for maintenance

The EDMC has 2,098 parks in Shahdara North and Shahdara South zones. The three municipal corporations together oversee 15,064 parks in the city with the south corporation alone managing the maximum number of parks at 6,812

The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has decided to hand over around 15% of its parks to the local residents’ welfare association (RWA) for maintenance and upkeep. The civic body will compensate the RWAs at a rate of ₹2.14 per square metre per month. Shyam Sunder Aggarwal, the east corporation mayor, has given anticipatory approval to the policy, officials said on Thursday.

There are more than 18,000 parks and gardens in Delhi spread over about 8,000 hectares. Several of them are looked after by central agencies and garden society. (PTI)

Aggarwal said the scheme will be on a public-private partnership (PPP) model. “The EDMC has approximately 950 acres of parks and, under this scheme, about 135 acres will be handed over to RWAs in each area for maintenance. The EDMC will make quarterly payments to the RWA concerned on priority basis,” he said.

The EDMC has 2,098 parks in Shahdara North and Shahdara South zones. The three municipal corporations together oversee 15,064 parks in the city with the south corporation alone managing the maximum number of parks at 6,812. There are more than 18,000 parks and gardens in Delhi spread over about 8,000 hectares. Several of them are looked after by central agencies and garden society.

A senior EDMC official from the horticulture department said under the scheme, RWAs will be given the responsibility of maintaining the parks, appointing gardeners, irrigation, greenery and beautification of the park. “The compensation rate has been determined as per the central public works department manual for the maintenance of parks and the RWA concerned will be paid ₹2.14 per square metre per month. The rates will be increased when changes are made to the manual,” official said, asking not to be named.

Aggarwal said if the RWA is not willing to do the maintenance work, then any NGO with three years of experience in this particular work in the zone concerned can also apply and a no objection certificate will be needed from the local RWA for the handover of the park to the NGO.

“Officials of the horticulture department will inspect parks from time to time to ensure that proper maintenance is being done,” Aggarwal said. Similar PPP schemes are also run by the other two civic bodies and the Delhi parks and garden society but payment delays have often impacted park upkeep, EDMC officials said.

BS Vohra, who heads the East Delhi RWA joint front, said the timelines for payments must be adhered to. “RWAs want to maintain and beautify their parks but payments should be timely and the quantum should be enough to sustain the parks on a no profit, no loss basis,” he said.