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Hindustan Times
4 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi's green divide: As parks shrink for many, the rich stretch their legs
At around 12.30pm, seven-year-old Abu Katada is getting ready for school. His father packs his bag while Abu describes a typical day: school, tuition, home, and sleep. Vehicles at a park near Vikaspuri in New Delhi in July. (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO) When asked when he plays, he simply shrugs. 'If there's no space, how will we play? The lanes are too small, and it's dangerous,' he says. Parks don't even feature in his world. Abu lives in Ajit Nagar in Shahdara — one of the many neighbourhoods in Delhi where green spaces are either too far, poorly maintained, or simply don't exist. From the packed tenements of northeast Delhi to the concrete sprawl of west Delhi, the city's parks — once considered democratic breathing spaces — are becoming enclaves for the privileged. Further south, in Jamia Nagar, the view is much the same. 'It affects our health,' says 23-year-old Mohammad Faizal. 'There are hardly any trees or green spots. Life just passes us by.' This is a city that boasts Lodhi Garden and Sunder Nursery — historical parks where monuments jostle for space with verdant blooms and birdsong competes with camera shutters — and the wooded Sanjay Van, a forest in the middle of a metropolis. But for many, these are postcard spaces, not neighbourhood ones. A 2022 report by the Centre for Youth Culture Law and Environment (CYCLE) maps the stark divide: parks are mostly concentrated in south Delhi, New Delhi, south-east Delhi, west Delhi, and east Delhi — with south and New Delhi having the most number of parks, each with 6% of district area under park cover. In contrast, north-east Delhi — where Abu lives — has just 1.2% park cover. North and south-west Delhi fare marginally better with a park cover of 2.3%. The absence of green cover isn't just a cosmetic concern — it has tangible, life-altering consequences. A Greenpeace India audit of 50 parks in Delhi, which assessed surface temperatures in 40 of them, found that shaded green areas were on average 12°C cooler than exposed concrete surfaces. In some cases, the difference was as much as 18°C, with shaded zones recording a high of 35°C compared to 53.3°C in uncovered areas — underscoring the critical role of vegetation in regulating urban temperatures. The HT team visited several neighbourhoods across these districts to document the parks people do have — and those they don't. What emerges is a striking cityscape of inequality. In many parts, satellite images reveal nothing but a sea of grey: buildings pressed tightly together, with barely a patch of green in sight. 'In west Delhi, the clusters of Mundka, Prem Nagar, and Kirari cover about 19 square kilometres, housing nearly 900,000 people — but there are hardly any parks,' says environmental activist Diwan Singh. Residents echo that sentiment. 'This place is called Swaran Park, but there isn't a single park here. People stay indoors — because there's nowhere else to go,' says 72-year-old Ved Singh, who grew up in the area. 'We call it 'narkh (hell)' park now.' The disparity is not just visual — it's measurable. 'Areas with the highest tree cover have lower population densities. Meanwhile, high-density settlements have almost no vegetation,' says Raj Bhagat, geoanalytics expert with the India Resources Trust. In one pocket of Mustafabad, he notes, the ratio was one tree to 400–500 people. In east Delhi's Laxmi Nagar, 35-year-old Kartikey Pathak lays it out plainly: 'There's one park nearby, but that's not enough. There are hundreds of houses here. This area is not fit for children or elders. We are just surviving here.' Ironically, east Delhi ranks third in overall park cover at 6.3%, but as with other 'green' districts, the distribution is highly uneven. South-east Delhi, which tops the city's park coverage at 8.1%, offers another case in point. Most of its greenery lies in the northern part of the district — the institutional and wealthier zones. In Jamia Nagar, Shaheen Bagh, and Okhla, residents say parks are almost non-existent. 'The nearest one is two kilometres away,' says a shopkeeper from Jamia Nagar, who declined to be named. 'Children can't go alone. Older people are forced to take their strolls in the narrow, congested lanes — and even that's dangerous because of traffic.' The absence of greenery, residents say, affects far more than physical health, it also takes a mental toll. 'If we had parks nearby, people would be more motivated, happier,' says Pathak. 'People need time amid greenery. That's how you recharge.' Even in neighbourhoods where parks do exist, upkeep is another issue. 'I have a big park outside my house — but I can't use it,' says Paras Tyagi, founder of CYCLE. The 4.5-acre ground in front of his home in Budhela, Vikaspuri is dusty and bare. 'It's supposed to be maintained by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, but it's used only for weddings. After each function, there's litter everywhere.' In Jahangirpuri, 27-year-old Shiva Mathur says 'almost every block has a park', but 80% of them lie unused. 'There's no grass, just dirt and trash. What's the point?' The Greenpeace audit also highlighted the lack of basic amenities in many parks. Of the parks surveyed, 39 had no drinking water facilities for visitors, 36 lacked water bodies, 32 were shut at night, and 37 were closed at some point during the day — pointing to limited accessibility and inadequate infrastructure in public green spaces. 'Parks offer several kinds of relief — rest, recreation, health benefits, and resilience against air pollution and heatwaves,' the report noted. A majority of Delhi's residents are missing out on all of it. And the gap may soon widen. The Delhi Development Authority has begun ticketing entry to some parks. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi is also moving toward outsourcing park maintenance — a move that activists fear could further privatise access. In the city's gridded power map, trees and playgrounds are increasingly becoming the preserve of the well-off. The rest adapt — to dust, heat, and the slow dulling of spirit. Back in Shahdara, Abu is asked again why his day consists only of school and sleep. He laughs, the question itself absurd to him. 'What else will I do?' he says.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
Hemant performs father's ‘asthi' immersion at Rajrappa
1 2 Ramgarh: After performing the shradh of his father and 'Dishom Guru' Shibu Soren, chief minister Hemant Soren , with his family on Sunday, performed the rituals of 'Asthi visarjan' (immersion of ashes) here at the confluence of Damodar and Bhairavi rivers near the famed Chhinnamastika temple of Rajrappa. The rituals were done as per the family traditions, Hemant's aides said. After 12 days, Hemant finally came out of his ancestral village of Nemra on Sunday and offered prayers at the temple to seek blessings for the family and people of the state. He also offered food and other items to the poor people sitting outside the Rajrappa temple. Ajay Panda, the chief priest of the Rajrappa temple, said the remains of Shibu Soren were immersed as per the tradition of the family. Ramgarh DC Faiz Aq Ahmad, on the other hand, informed that the CM returned to Nemra after the immersion. The shradh ceremony of the senior Soren was conducted in Nemra and was attended by several people, including defence minister Rajnath Singh, minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth, Telangana chief minister Reventh Reddy and yoga guru baba Ramdev, among several other who's who of the country. Over two lakh people from across the country also joined the community feast held on the occasion of the shradh ceremony, a senior JMM leader said. Popularly known as Dishom Guru, Shibu Soren passed away at a Delhi hospital on August 4 at the age of 81. He was cremated in Nemra on August 5 with full state honours. Notably, Shibu Soren has been ill for nearly a month and was undergoing treatment under the team of doctors at a Delhi hospital. Hemant Soren was looking after his father and shuttled between Delhi and Ranchi to fulfil his government and family duties. After his father died, he shifted his base to Nemra and conducted his official work from there. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
19 minutes ago
- Time of India
Delhi zoo receives otters from Surat after two decades of wait
New Delhi: After two decades of wait, the Delhi zoo finally got otters. Two smooth-coated otters arrived on Thursday afternoon from Surat, Gujarat, in a special truck. Along with the otters, the zoo also received 10 star tortoises from Surat, including five females, adding them to the existing group of star tortoises. The animals have been kept in quarantine. The otters are being fed their favourite fishes, and the turtles are being given vegetables. "Otters and star tortoises have been kept under observation. They will be released for public view after a quarantine period of 3-4 weeks," said Dr Sanjeet Kumar, the zoo director. Otters like clear water, and special ponds will be created for this, he added. You Can Also Check: Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Gold Rates Today in Delhi | Silver Rates Today in Delhi The otters, approximately 2 years old, reached the zoo around 1 pm after completing a 1,200-km journey across three states — Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan — over two days. The transporting vehicle had water tanks and ample fishes to bring them here without any stress. On its journey back, the truck will carry five Eld's deer, two blue and yellow macaws, and four green-cheeked macaws from the Delhi zoo, under the exchange agreement between National Zoological Garden (the Delhi zoo) and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Zoological Garden, Surat. Veterinarian Dr Abhijit Bhawal, who went to bring the otters, was accompanied by Dr Rajesh Patil from the Surat zoo for better monitoring of the mammals on their journey. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Could This NEW Collagen Blend Finally Reduce Your Cellulite? Vitauthority Learn More Undo They helped them acclimatise, inspected their new enclosure and gave suggestions for improvement. He said that otters would be able to breed in a year's time. "After two decades, we are getting the otters. These two otters have been separated from their family, so we have to be very careful in their upkeep. Patil's inputs on the newly constructed breeding cell will be helpful in managing the otters. The last otter at the Delhi zoo died in 2004, and we hope to revive its population here in the coming days. Otters love species of fish like Bombay duck fish, mud fish, Indian white mullet and Asian sea bass. During the journey, we examined the animals and gave them rest every 200 km," said Dr Bhawal. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
