Stories
Delhi Parks Unsafe: 190 High-Risk Parks, Only 16 of 736 Have CCTV, Safety Audit Reveals
- •A safety audit of 736 Delhi parks, initiated by Lieutenant Governor Tarunjeet Singh Sandhu, revealed 190 parks are high-risk and unsafe for girls.
- •Only 16 DDA parks currently have CCTV cameras, with a need identified for installation in an additional 323 parks.
- •520 parks require additional lighting, with immediate arrangements being made in 231, and lighting work completed in 106 parks.
- •Security improvements include replacing gates in 163 parks, repairing boundaries and grills in 399 parks, and starting night patrolling in 245 large parks.
- •Biometric attendance for security guards has been introduced in 602 parks, and direct coordination with local police has been established.
Key Questions Answered
Following instructions from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Tarunjeet Singh Sandhu, the DDA completed a safety audit of 736 parks, categorizing 190 as high-risk, 258 as medium-risk, and 288 as low-risk. The audit revealed severe shortcomings, including a lack of CCTV cameras in all but 16 parks, poor lighting across 520 parks, and unsecured entry gates or broken boundaries.
Authorities have initiated immediate improvements, including installing additional lighting in 231 parks, replacing unlocked gates in 163 parks, and adding CCTVs to 323 parks. Night and bike patrolling have started in high-risk parks, biometric attendance has been introduced for security guards in 602 parks, and contact details of beat officers have been shared with field staff.
The safety audit and review were ordered after a shocking gang rape incident involving a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park in Kalkaji, Delhi. This incident exposed severe security lapses, leading the Delhi Lieutenant Governor to direct immediate safety inspections and enhanced police patrolling across all city parks.
