Delhi’s public parks will undergo a coordinated security overhaul after an alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old at South Delhi’s Astha Kunj Park, with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs asking agencies to strengthen surveillance, staffing, lighting and boundary protection across the Capital.
At a high-level meeting on Thursday, the ministry asked Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag Kumar to consider creating an online portal to register National Cadet Corps personnel as “Park Prahari”. The proposed platform could allow NCC cadets to be deployed in parks for fixed periods or during peak evening hours. Delhi Police would fund their salaries, according to an officer quoted in the meeting’s follow-up discussions.
The proposal comes about a month after the incident at Astha Kunj Park. The Indian Express had reported that the section where the alleged crime took place had no security guard, police patrolling vans or functioning CCTV cameras. Cameras installed at some gates were also reported to be non-functional.
The MHA has asked authorities to examine the current status of CCTV systems in parks and complete the installation of new cameras through agencies including the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing and BISAG-N by November. Police and civic agencies have also been directed to repair cameras and lighting and close gaps in park boundaries by the end of the year.
A security audit of public parks across Delhi has been ordered. The ministry has set December 2026 as the deadline for completing construction and repairs to boundary walls and fencing. Responsibility for carrying out the work will rest with the agency that owns or manages each park, including civic bodies and other land-owning agencies.
Under the directions discussed at the meeting, every park larger than one acre that is not located within a residential or perimeter-secured zone should have guards at all entry and exit points around the clock. Each such park should also have one guard assigned to patrol duty. Authorities have been asked to rationalise entry and exit points where necessary.
The directions also cover parks in the Delhi Ridge. The Delhi government and the Delhi Development Authority have been asked to ensure that security arrangements are implemented in those areas. Lighting must be brought in line with standards of the Indian Roads Congress and the Bureau of Indian Standards, with the park-owning agency responsible for executing the work.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the MHA, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, the Central Public Works Department, the Delhi government, the New Delhi Municipal Council, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, Delhi Police and the Delhi Development Authority. The proposed Park Prahari portal remains under consideration, while the agencies are expected to proceed with audits, repairs and security upgrades under the stated deadlines.
