In the early 1990s, there were as many as 16 tubewells, each located in the middle of a park, in Sector 14 — recalls HS Nanda, one of the early residents of
Gurugram. The wells not only quenched the thirst of local residents but also helped irrigate the parks, keeping the sector lush and green. But, by 2005, concrete structures replaced tin shades covering the wells, eating up large chunks in at least six of those parks.
“The concrete structures house Huda offices built in the middle of the parks, which were originally meant for the residents,” said Nanda, who is currently the RWA president of Sector 14. The remaining few, which were not encroached upon by any government agency, have fallen into the hands of residents living in the adjacent plots. Today, there is hardly any park in the sector that is free from encroachment and available for children or the elderly.
The residents have been protesting against these encroachments, especially by government agencies, but in vain. “We have filed a number of complaints on the CM Window. We have also approached Huda but in vain,” Nanda said. Though after sustained efforts the residents managed to free one of the parks from ‘official’ encroachment last year, the five others are still being occupied by Huda. “We used to go to the park near apartment No. 804 and do yoga and other activities daily to disturb the officials. Finally, they vacated the park,” said Malkhan Singh, another resident.
When asked, Huda officials flatly denied the allegations. “The parks are located on government land. They belong to Huda. Then where the question of illegal occupation comes from,” a senior official told TOI. “But if the RWA thinks we have encroached upon the parks, it can raise this issue with senior authorities. And if the authorities order demolition, we will do that,” he added.
There are other forms of ‘official’ encroachment too, according to residents. “Swarnajayanti park, for example, houses a tent for police personnel deployed for the security of a former Nagaland governor who lives right next to the park,” asked Dinesh Aggarwal.
In Kendriya Vihar Society, Sector 56, residents said some RWA members have grown plants in one of the parks there and placed iron grilles that pass through the middle of it to prevent children from playing. “The children used to play there. But since March, they don’t have a place to play. The RWA does not have the authority to either deny access to the park or alter it in any way,” said Supriya Yadav, a local resident. Despite repeated complaints, the RWA members have allegedly not removed the grilles yet.
“Sports are essential for an all-round development of a child. But not everyone can afford to send their children to sports academies. We do have some other parks in the neighbourhood but they are too small,” said another resident, who did not want to be named.
There are some areas where parks are caught in litigations and as a result, residents, especially children, are unable to use them.
In Sector 5, a private cellular service provider had attempted to install a tower inside a park a few years ago. The local residents strongly opposed the move and filed a plea in court. “The court stayed the construction of the tower, and the company suspended the work midway, leaving the site half dug up. As a result, no one is able to use the park now,” said Dinesh Vashishta, RWA president, Sector 5.
The situation in some privately developed societies is no better either. There is not a single designated park in Ardee City that is spread over 204 acres, alleged residents.
“The areas, which were earmarked as parks in the original plan, have apartments today,” said Chatali Mandotra, a resident.
In 2006, the developer had started construction in a park right in front of the B block for building new apartments. “But the residents moved a petition in court and got a stay order on the construction. Now, a half-built structure stands on the park, which has lost its sheen and green in all these years,” alleged another resident, not willing to be named.
Further, a plot that the developer had identified as a park in the original plan at the time of selling the flats later turned out to be barren land with a gas pipe running underneath. And Haryana City Gas digs up the plot from time to time for one or the other reason.
Shivani, another resident, said. “Further, in the name of park revival, we got only a jogging track near it. There is one ‘games’ park that is unkempt and a children’s park with broken swings. There is another park in the B block but we don’t allow children to go there because of power transformers installed inside.” The spokesperson for Ardee did not reply to repeated calls from TOI.
