Residents come together, demand basic amenities at Gurgaon’s parks

Residents across sectors said that despite repeated pleas their demand for amenities such as toilets, water taps and sitting arrangements and parking areas in green spaces is yet to be fulfilled.

Residents across sectors have come together demanding basic amenities at parks and other designated green spaces across the city. They said despite sending several letters to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and the deputy commissioner’s office, their demand for amenities such as toilets, water taps and sitting arrangements and parking areas in green spaces is yet to be fulfilled.

Residents from various Gurgaon sectors said that despite repeated pleas, their demands for amenities such as toilets, water taps and sitting arrangements and parking areas in green spaces is yet to be fulfilled. (Parveen Kumar/ HT Photo)

There are more than 300 parks across the city, including Leisure Valley, Botanical Garden, Sector 56 and Tau Devi Lal in Sector 23.

Thousands of senior citizens and other residents, who are regular visitors to parks in the morning and evening hours, claimed that they have been pleading with the authorities to provide basic amenities at these green spaces, but got no word on when their demand will be met, if at all.

Residents alleged that due to want of requisite infrastructure, they are unable to spend enough time at parks these days.

“As senior citizens, we often feel like catching up after taking a morning stroll in the park. However, with no provision of drinking water and toilets, it is often difficult for us to be around for too long. We are upset at the lack of facilities at parks, but the authorities don’t seem to care,” Brigadier (retd) S Dixit, a resident of Sispal Vihar, said.

“We carry our own water bottles, as there is no provision for drinking water in these parks. It is shocking that the authorities are not moved by the plight of residents visiting parks,” Jugandeep Kaur, a resident of Kendriya Vihar, Sector 56, said.

They said that with the exception of separate tracks for morning walkers, there are no facilities at city parks.

“Several residents of South City 1 once used to be regulars at the Leisure Valley Park, but poor maintenance of the toilets and lack of other facilities, have forced them to turn away and take a stroll on the colony roads”, said Sameer Tripathi, a resident.

People are often spotted urinating behind the bushes, trees and walls, the residents alleged. They said the parks throw up a nauseating stink and visitors, especially women, are forced to stay away because of this.

They said the footfall at these parks, which once used to be around 2,000 daily on an average, has been declining rapidly because of inadequate infrastructure and yet, the authorities aren’t bothered.

MCG officials said they are working on addressing the shortcomings and soon, city parks will have new toilets. “We will soon build new toilets (at parks) and take necessary measures to address the problems experienced by visitors,” SS Rohilla , spokesperson, MCG, said.