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Prayagraj: Broken swings, slides at Azad Park pose safety concerns for children
Most of the children, aged 3 to 10 years, who arrive to enjoy the slides find themselves in an enclosed section called ‘Bal Vatika’ near the main gate of the park.
Many of the swings at the popular Chandra Shekhar Azad Park are currently in a damaged state, with broken iron handles and damaged slides posing a significant threat to the safety of children who come to play. Most of the children, aged 3 to 10 years, who arrive to enjoy the slides find themselves in an enclosed section called ‘Bal Vatika’ near the main gate of the park.
These swings, which were installed around five years ago during the park’s renovation, are used by hundreds of children daily, especially on holidays when numerous families visit Azad Park for recreation. The swings, made of both plastic fiber and iron, have deteriorated over time. The plastic slider swings are particularly worn out, with some being rendered unusable, while others, though damaged, are still in use, posing a threat to children.
Samiksha, a 30-year-old mother, said she had to her five-year-old son when she saw him climbing on the damaged slide. The slider has a hole in the middle and children’s feet may get entangled and result in serious injuries, she added.
Apart from the issues with plastic slider swings, the handles of some iron swings are broken, exposing sharp iron pipes that pose serious threats to children’s safety. Furthermore, the seat poles of certain rotating swings are worn out, indicating that they may not last much longer.
“Children could be seriously injured if iron poles collapse suddenly,” said Rinku Verma, a visitor to the park.
Superintendent of Chandrashekhar Azad Park Umesh Chandra, however, said that a proposal for installation of new swings has been sent. As an immediate solution, the old and damaged swings will soon be repaired, he added.
