Residents of the Narmada-Saraswati housing complex in Vasant Kunj protested on Friday against a proposed Local Shopping Centre on a park site, alleging that the construction would take away their only sizeable recreational space and affect hundreds of families.
The protest, organised by the Narmada-Saraswati Residents’ Welfare Association, included a candle march attended by residents, women and children. Protesters demanded that the park be protected and objected to the proposed commercial development on the site, which the RWA said covers around 2,000 square metres.
RWA president Vikram Gahlot said the residents’ objection was not to shopping facilities in principle but to the loss of the only substantial park available to the housing complex. He alleged that the proposal was contrary to provisions of the Delhi Master Plan and questioned the need for a second shopping facility in the area.
Residents also raised concerns about the effect of construction on trees and on activities currently held at the park. Gahlot claimed that around 300 to 400 trees could be affected. According to the RWA, the open space is used for children’s activities, senior citizens’ recreation and community events.
The dispute escalated after excavation activity was reported at the site. Gahlot said residents gathered after a JCB arrived and stopped the work, with only a small portion of the site excavated before the intervention. The account of the excavation and the stoppage was provided by the RWA.
Residents have also questioned the distinction between the existing Convenience Shopping Centre and the proposed Local Shopping Centre. Gahlot said the existing facility had remained largely non-functional for years and asked why another commercial facility was required within the residential complex.
The RWA said it had approached the Lieutenant Governor, Delhi Development Authority officials, the local Member of Parliament, the local Member of the Legislative Assembly and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the proposal. The residents have threatened to intensify their protest and said they plan to begin a hunger strike on Sunday if their demands are not addressed.
The dispute places the status of the park, the planning basis for the proposed Local Shopping Centre and the reported excavation at the centre of the residents’ concerns. The DDA was contacted for its response on the allegations, the land status and the construction activity, but no response had been received at the time of publication.
