Gurgaon: Women visitors give unsafe, unlit city parks a miss

Women said they had to shell out money to hire security guards to keep parks safe

With snatching incidents and molestation cases on the rise in Gurgaon, parks and open spaces in Gurgaon are increasingly becoming unsafe for women.

Lack of proper lights, security guards, police presence and CCTV cameras is a major problem for those visiting public spaces in Gurgaon. (Sanjeev Verma/HT PHOTO)

Residents claim that the few private guards deployed by Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) and other authorities are inadequate and they don’t have the equipment and skills to keep a check on miscreants.

One of the oldest parks in Sector 14, the only large park in Gurgaon between Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and Old Delhi Gurgaon Road, has little security and safety.

Despite repeated attempts by the residents’ welfare association (RWA) members, security for women and children remains a concern there.

The residents said they spent money from their pockets to maintain the park and hire security guards.

Dr. Kanhaiya Lal Garg, RWA member Sector 14, said, “The families cannot visit the park after 7pm as miscreants roam about freely. The park has become a hub for gambling and other anti-social activities”.

Lack of proper lights, security guards, police presence, and CCTV cameras is a major problem for visitors.

Bimla Yadav (65), a resident of Sector 14, said, “We feel bad seeing the younger generation using the park for illegal activities. The residents of nearby sectors hesitate to go there” said Yadav.

Even parks such as biodiversity park which are considered to be safe have had their share of untoward incidents.

Narrating one such incident, Kusum Taneja, a resident of Sector 56, said, “Some men don’t come to the park for exercising. They sit there and stare at women and pass lewd remarks.”

Even Leisure Valley Park in Sector 29, which gets hundreds of daily visitors, does not make women feel safe.

Residents highlight the lack of security guards as one of the biggest concerns, apart from poor lighting. Since most parks are huge, there are secluded corners, which continue to remain unsafe.

Read I Gurgaon: Residents happy as MCG revises park maintenance rate

“I used to go to Sector 14 park very often, but I don’t feel safe there. I have seen men openly urinating. When I tried to raise a concern, he replied with a cheap comment. Now I walk only in my colony,” said Mona Joshi, a resident of Sector 17.

The government authorities said they are upgrading the security as well as other infrastructure in parks to ensure people enjoy their visits.

“The municipal Corporation of Gurgaon will set up open gyms in 70 parks and tenders for the same have been released. These facilities will be created in places where the RWAs are keen on having them. More security and better infrastructure are on the anvil,” said Ajay Nirala, executive engineer, horticulture, MCG.