Delhi MCD to revamp park in Kalkaji with play areas for children

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is set to revamp a park in Kalkaji — which abuts the Nehru Enclave Metro station — as an urban recreational space, with dedicated play areas for children, sitting decks, and recreational spaces for senior citizens and differently-abled people, civic body officials said on Monday.

The officials said that MCD plans to spend around ₹1.8 crore for the project, which is being funded through the central government’s Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.

“The park abutting the exit point of Nehru Enclave Metro station witnesses very high footfall, with a large number of people visiting the Nehru Place market. We will revamp the existing park as an urban recreational space for visitors. The project is likely to take around four months,” a senior MCD official associated with the project said, on condition of anonymity.

MCD has invited the bids for development of the park, which will include pergolas, garden huts, and walkways, and the bidding process will be completed on September 4.

“We will also develop new infrastructure by using old disused shipping containers. A public toilet will be developed using shipping containers. The park will have an artistic gate and a basketball court. The agency executing the project will also be responsible for its maintenance for five years,” the official said.

The play equipment to be added to the park are themed around insects, and include spider rope climbers, caterpillar balance beams, grass hopper climbers, bee hanging climbers, along with a series of shade canopies themed around shapes of flowers. MCD has also kept dedicated section of the park for differently-abled children.

The official quoted above said much of this play equipment was developed for installation at a children’s park in Rohini, but delays there mean that these concept installations will now be installed at the Kalkaji park.

“Several of the budgetary heads for the horticulture department have been moved to the mayor’s discretionary funds leading to many projects coming to standstill. This project will now be funded under AMRUT scheme,” the official said.

MCD manages more than 15,226 parks across 12 zones, but very few cater to children. Over the years, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights as well as the Delhi high court asked the corporation to ensure that there is place for children to play, but at present, only 1,300 MCD parks have designated corners for children, while parks dedicated for children to play are even rarer.