Environmentalists, town planners and residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) are up in arms against the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) decision to allow multi-gyms in the parks, with the green brigade terming it a tactical move to destroy the city’s green cover.
'Its an invitation to concretise the city at the cost of its green cover. People come to parks to enjoy the greenery and nature. The DDA decision will change the basic character of parks,' said Govind Singh, a city environmentalist. 'Trees will be felled to make space for gyms and additional parking space would add to the destruction,' he added.
The authority in a recent notification has invited objections to its proposed amendment in the Master Plan-2021 to permit construction of multi-gyms in parks with a minimum area of one hectare. 'Parks are good sources of ground water recharge and water harvesting system in the city. Why do they want to destroy these parks,' questioned Vinod Jain,another environmentalist, adding that he will oppose the decision and register his protest. According to the DDA notification, multi-gyms would be permissible in parks having an area of one hectare. Gyms would be allowed to have a built-up area of up to 225 sqm.
'This will destroy the very nature of parks. The men who frequent gyms would pose a threat to the security of women and girls visiting parks in the mornings and evening. The neighbourhood playing space for children will be taken away,'said Sanjay Kaul, president of URJA, a federation of RWAs in the city. 'It shows the DDA’s lack of vision. They seem to be destroying the greenery deliberately, under pressure from some private lobby that wants to construct gyms in these parks. Providing electricity, parking and other facilities to the gyms would be an added burden,' added Kaul. Presently only toilet blocks, pump houses, electric rooms, guard rooms, and equipment rooms are permitted in parks, for the upkeep and maintenance of these areas. 'There is no need for such notification as it will serve no purpose but just affect the already shrinking green cover in the city,' said A K Jain, an eminent architect planner and former planning commissioner of the DDA. 'DDA can construct gyms in big parks as they had done before in parks in Hauz Khas and near the IIT Delhi campus. The amendment in the Master Plan will not be in the interest of the city, as it is already suffering from a concrete burden,'added Jain.
'Its an invitation to concretise the city at the cost of its green cover. People come to parks to enjoy the greenery and nature. The DDA decision will change the basic character of parks,' said Govind Singh, a city environmentalist. 'Trees will be felled to make space for gyms and additional parking space would add to the destruction,' he added.
The authority in a recent notification has invited objections to its proposed amendment in the Master Plan-2021 to permit construction of multi-gyms in parks with a minimum area of one hectare. 'Parks are good sources of ground water recharge and water harvesting system in the city. Why do they want to destroy these parks,' questioned Vinod Jain,another environmentalist, adding that he will oppose the decision and register his protest. According to the DDA notification, multi-gyms would be permissible in parks having an area of one hectare. Gyms would be allowed to have a built-up area of up to 225 sqm.
'This will destroy the very nature of parks. The men who frequent gyms would pose a threat to the security of women and girls visiting parks in the mornings and evening. The neighbourhood playing space for children will be taken away,'said Sanjay Kaul, president of URJA, a federation of RWAs in the city. 'It shows the DDA’s lack of vision. They seem to be destroying the greenery deliberately, under pressure from some private lobby that wants to construct gyms in these parks. Providing electricity, parking and other facilities to the gyms would be an added burden,' added Kaul. Presently only toilet blocks, pump houses, electric rooms, guard rooms, and equipment rooms are permitted in parks, for the upkeep and maintenance of these areas. 'There is no need for such notification as it will serve no purpose but just affect the already shrinking green cover in the city,' said A K Jain, an eminent architect planner and former planning commissioner of the DDA. 'DDA can construct gyms in big parks as they had done before in parks in Hauz Khas and near the IIT Delhi campus. The amendment in the Master Plan will not be in the interest of the city, as it is already suffering from a concrete burden,'added Jain.