With MC in the red, RWAs struggle to keep parks green

Chandigarh municipal corporation's deepening financial crunch, which has halted development projects and put staff salaries at risk, has also impacted the city's neighbourhood parks, with payments to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) for park maintenance overdue for four months.

- Mandeep Kaur Narula

CHANDIGARH:

Amid MC's ongoing fiscal mess, RWAs, which maintain 45% of the city's 1,800 neighbourhood parks, reimbursements have been delayed, creating challenges in their upkeep.

The city's 1,800 parks cover 2,300 acres, and 809 of these parks, spanning about 290 acres, are managed by 86 RWAs.

MC compensates these RWAs ₹4.15 per square kilometre monthly for park upkeep, but payments have been stalled, leading to financial strain.

The unpaid dues are forcing RWAs to collect funds from residents to cover the costs of gardeners and maintenance. But most parks are in poor condition, with uncut grass, broken swings, and garbage and horticulture waste piling up.