Govt draws out plan to beautify Delhi’s gardens and parks

The Delhi govt has selected coordinators and heads at the assembly, district and state level for executing the project in coordination with residents’ welfare associations.

Environment minister Gopal Rai on Monday said the Delhi government has adopted the ‘Green Park Green Delhi’ theme to beautify the city’s parks and gardens under the chief minister’s park beautification scheme, and has selected coordinators and heads at the assembly, district and state level for executing the project in coordination with residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).

Environment minister Gopal Rai. (ANI)

The decision was taken after a high-level meeting held earlier in the day between the environment minister, Delhi MLAs and officials from the Delhi Parks and Gardens Society (DPGS). Rai said the process through which RWAs can participate in this scheme and help the government maintain parks was discussed in detail, with each legislator informed about the parks requiring attention in their respective areas.

“In the first phase, a survey of about 11,500 parks -- of the 16,828 parks in Delhi -- has been completed by 70 teams of the DPGS. Among them, it was found that around 6,345 parks are not being maintained,” said Rai, adding that for the beautification and development of these parks, a financial assistance of ₹2.55 lakh per acre will be given to each RWA by the DPGS, with an additional ₹1 lakh per acre to be given for development and maintenance of new parks. “Alongside that, keeping in mind the water (shortage) problem, ₹3.50 lakh per acre will also be given to RWAs for installation of sewage treatment plants (for recycling water),” said Rai.

The minister said to avail of this scheme, RWAs needed to file an online application, highlighting the park that they wish to help maintain. “The RWA will have to get registered on the Delhi government’s e-district portal, and once their eligibility has been verified, all the required documents will also be uploaded,” said Rai, adding that the new appointments made at the district and assembly level will help provide RWAs’ the required training.

“Under this scheme, to help the general public in the development of Delhi’s parks and in the process of online application and for training purposes, we will have one in-charge in every assembly, one observer in every two assemblies and two coordinators at the state level,” he said.