Delhi's green divide: Parks, not for all

South and New Delhi have the most number of parks, each with 6% of district area dedicated. In contrast, northeast Delhi has just 1.2% park cover, according to a 2022 report

- Aaditya Khatwani

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.

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, southeast 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, northeast Delhi where Abu lives has just 1.2% park cover. North and southwest Delhi fare marginally better with a park cover of 2.3%.