A green haven for women to stay fit and motivated

Fifty-seven-year-old Usha walks into the open gym in the city’s sole women-only park and takes off her dupatta before sitting down to do some crunches. Over the creaks of the machines, she starts quizzing Ekta Yadav, another visitor, about the rent for her new apartment.

This park, tucked away in Sector 10A, adjacent to a community centre, is a 1.5-acre green space that is dedicated to women. The park has become a major attraction for women since a gym was installed and facilities were improved in January. Mostly, visitors can be seen in the park from 5am to 9am and from 4pm to 7pm.

“Women here can just put down their dupatta and start working out. They need not worry about men’s gazes,” said Yadav, a 27-year-old homemaker, as she vigorously pedals away on a cycle. She is on a one-and-a-half-hour break from looking after her two-year-old son, as her mother-in-law babysits him.

The improved park is rectangular, with a running track at its periphery. The open gym and a sitting pavilion are located at the centre. “The idea of this park was to create a safe place for women. Here, they need not worry about harassment. They can run, exercise, walk, workout or do yoga without any restriction,” said Ashwani Sharma, RWA president and ward councillor.

The park, however, was not always its pristine self. An open-air gym was set up in the women-only dedicated area last May, but the facilities were set up only later.

“Previously, the park area had wild growth, was dirty and we would never even look at it. We never imagined that this area could be developed into something beautiful and for women to be given this space is even greater,” said Amrita Singh, who runs a cosmetics business.

Singh, who has been living near the park for 16 years, found the courage to explore it when the 15 LED lamps placed around the park were lit for the first time before its inauguration. “I can just let my daughter run around and not worry,” she said, as her 10-year-old daughter Jasmine scrolled away on her phone at a bench by herself.

The park has four CCTV cameras and a guard posted at the gate at all times, said the park’s gardener Mukesh. The park features bougainvillaea, champa, chameli, cupressus as well as berry-bearing plants to attract birds.

Women said that the park also helps them escape domestic duties to chat, talk and be themselves. “In other parks, we have to be mindful of men and kids, but here, we can just get together, talk, be ourselves and not have to worry about anything,” said Sarita Sharma, a regular at the park.

Camaraderie runs strong among the regulars. “There are days when one of us may feel low and does not want to come out for a walk, but we push each other,” said Ratna Banerjee, Sharma’s park partner.

The RWA president said that further plans to develop the park — a swing set, more benches, two toilets, tiling of running track and speakers — are in the works. The park, however, is yet to gain popularity of others, for instance, the Rao Tula Ram Park located in the vicinity.

Yadav said that the park is one of the reasons that she decided against shifting to another sector. “This park is the medicine every woman needs,” she said, beads of sweat pouring from her forehead.

First Published: May 19, 2019 03:46 IST