A garbage truck that had been lying unused since years in the junkyard of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation was recently revived and turned into a mobile park for children to play in.
The horticulture department of the EDMC took on the unique initiative to help build a mobile park for the children in the areas where it has become increasingly difficult to find open spaces to play, thanks to the growing concrete structures everywhere.
Launched last week on Friday, the park is aimed at helping the children from less-priviledged homes who barely have open spaces to play in. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia inaugurated the first mobile park in Saket area at the Tourism Garden festival. The plan is in motion to develop more such parks if the response for the first one is good. The parks would be set up in 14 wards in the east Delhi area where there is a significant lack of playgrounds and parks for children.
The EDMC horticulture director Raghwendra Singh told The Times of India that the mobile park was put together after retrofitting and redesigning the truck. It has a small lawn, several kinds of swings and decorations set up to attract children to play.
The mobile park has also been fitted with grilles made out of old benches so as to ensure safety of the children.
An official with EDMC reportedly said that the corporation is also planning to redesign 3 or 4 more trucks into mobile parks. He added that local administrative officials will be roped in to identify spots to place the trucks. The parks might even be placed near municipality schools for a few hours during the day, depending on the place.
The parks have been built to be used by 18 children at a time and those aged between 3 to 10 will be allowed inside. Parents will not be allowed on to the mobile parks.
EDMC officials said the idea stuck them when they visited their old junkyard after not finding any innovative theme for their Garden festival. There they found the discarded trucks and old park swings lying around. This gave them the inspiration for mobile parks and their own staffers used their skills to create them.