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Paid access curbs public use of LDA neighbourhood parks
An HT ground report conducted across Gomti Nagar Extension found that residents are losing access to parks developed as part of LDA housing schemes. While some green spaces have been leased to private agencies that charge users for sports facilities, others suffer from poor maintenance, illegal encroachments and a lack of basic upkeep in areas such as Gomti Nagar Extension and Jankipuram Extension.
The Lucknow Development Authority’s (LDA) move to lease neighbourhood parks to private operators has raised concerns among residents, who allege that public green spaces developed under LDA housing schemes are being commercialised while several other parks continue to suffer from neglect and encroachments.
An HT ground report conducted across Gomti Nagar Extension found that residents are losing access to parks developed as part of LDA housing schemes. While some green spaces have been leased to private agencies that charge users for sports facilities, others suffer from poor maintenance, illegal encroachments and a lack of basic upkeep in areas such as Gomti Nagar Extension and Jankipuram Extension.
A case in point is Green Park beneath the flyover in Sector 1 of Gomti Nagar Extension. LDA has leased the park to a private agency, which has enclosed it with nets and developed paid sports facilities, including basketball courts. Residents claim the park, once freely accessible, now largely caters to paying users. During the visit on Wednesday, the park was found locked.
“Earlier, the park was open to everyone, but now it has effectively become a paid facility, restricting public access to a community asset created with public funds,” said Arjun Mishra, a resident of Gomti Nagar Extension.
Unlike destination parks such as Janeshwar Mishra Park and Ram Manohar Lohia Park, which attract visitors from across the city and already operate organised facilities, neighbourhood parks were developed to provide nearby residents with spaces for walking, exercise and recreation. Residents argue that commercialising these parks defeats their original purpose.
The HT visit also found several LDA parks in deteriorating condition. Parks located near Ganga Apartments and other LDA residential complexes were covered with overgrown grass and untrimmed trees, while garbage lay scattered across the premises. Walking tracks were either damaged or completely covered by vegetation, forcing residents to use adjoining roads and service lanes for their morning walks.
In Sector 4 of Gomti Nagar Extension, another LDA park has been partially encroached upon with temporary structures, reducing the available open space and raising questions over the authority’s monitoring of public land. Similar conditions were found at other locations, where parks showed little or no maintenance.
Vikas Tiwari, a resident of Gomti Nagar area, said residents had been deprived of the green spaces promised under LDA housing schemes. He demanded that the authority restore free public access, remove encroachments and improve maintenance of parks across the city.
LDA garden officer Shashi Bharti said the leasing of parks is being carried out by the engineering department through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process.
HT tried contacting LDA secretary Vivek Srivastava for comments on this issue, but he remained unavailable.
