Ghaziabad municipal corporation starts work on five sporting facilities

Residents can play volleyball, mini football, badminton, kabaddi, or run, practice yoga and wrestle in the five free facilities

The Ghaziabad municipal corporation has started constructing free sporting facilities in five areas, officials said Monday, adding that they will develop three more paid facilities with the help of private companies.

Sports/recreational facilities account for about 15% of the city’s geographical area under Master Plan 2021. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Residents can play volleyball, mini football, badminton, kabaddi, or run, practice yoga and wrestle in the five free facilities, which will come up in ward number 51 in Vijay Nagar zone, ward number 16 near Morta in Kavi Nagar zone, ward number 69 near Lohiya Nagar in city zone, ward number 24 near Dasna in Kavi Nagar zone and ward number 45 near Lajpat Nagar in Mohan Nagar zone, officials said.

“The corporation maintains several parks in the city, but people don’t prefer to play sports in parks. This is why the corporation decided to develop the sports facilities,” said Dr Anuj Kumar Singh, horticulture in-charge of the corporation.

“We have also decided to hand over corporation land for the development of paid sporting facilities which will have much better infrastructure. The rates will be regulated by the corporation,” he added.

In Ghaziabad, many of the bigger sporting facilities and stadia are maintained by the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) while the corporation maintains the parks, officials said.

“The city has limited facilities for children and youngsters to play. Since the city has a huge population, there is a need for the development of more playgrounds. This is also needed under the Centre’s ‘Khelo India’ initiative,” said Akash Vashishtha, a city-based environmentalist.

In 2018, Vashishtha had petitioned the ministry of youth affairs and sports to allow local children the use of school/college playgrounds after school/college hours. The ministry had then requested states to allow children to do so. The GDA has also leased out its playgrounds/green belts to 13 schools, but officials could not immediately comment on whether children are allowed to play on the green belts after school.

“Sports/recreational facilities account for about 15% of the city’s geographical area under Master Plan 2021. We have increased it to 19% in the new draft Master Plan 2031. The new plan will be approved once the new government is formed,” said Ashish Shivpuri, the authority’s chief architect and town planner.