Residents want better amenities at Gurgaon public parks

Several senior citizens and other residents who spend their mornings and evenings at parks want better basic amenities such as toilets, drinking water, seating arrangements and parking areas

Several senior citizens and other residents who spend their mornings and evenings at parks want better basic amenities such as toilets, drinking water, seating arrangements and parking areas at these public utilities.

The toilet in Leisure Valley Park is defunct. (Abhinav Saha/HT Photo)

Some of the parks and green belts are maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) and the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) while the rest are maintained by private developers and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs).

The footfall at parks in the city, including Leisure Valley Park, Sector 29 and Kamla Nehru Park, has increased over the years as more residents, who live in Gurgaon’s concrete jungle, are coming here in search of greenery and fresh air.

Due to the lack of amenities, residents are often forced to carry water bottles. In some cases, they even have to rush home because of the lack of toilet facilities. Toilets are available in some of these parks but it is either defunct or not maintained properly.

“We want the parks to be maintained and we do not mind paying for it each month, as the authorities are not bothered about the basic amenities. Our objective is to make the best use of the available vacant space and make it greener so that people, especially children and senior citizens, get space to relax. It will also make the city more beautiful,” Ram Niwas of DLF City Phase 1 said.

However, the RWA that is in-charge of maintaining the park denied the allegation and said they have been taking good care of the park. They claimed to be paying the gardener too.

“We have nearly 70 parks in DLF and toilets are there at those parks that have high footfall. Around 15 parks have toilets that are maintained by the RWA,” Sudhir Kapoor, secretary of DLF City RWA, said.

Residents say several public parks and green belts are not maintained by the MCG and the Huda.

“The big parks are maintained but the small ones are in bad state. The authorities should provide better amenities at these parks as several senior citizens come here regularly,” Simran Arora of Palam Vihar said.

“This matter (maintenance of parks) has been bought to our notice. We will look into the issues and resolve it at the earliest,” a senior Huda official said.