Residents of the Narmada-Saraswati housing complex in Vasant Kunj have protested against a proposed Local Shopping Centre on a park site, alleging that the construction would remove the neighbourhood’s 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, including women and children. The demonstrators raised slogans and demanded that the park be protected from commercial development.
RWA president Vikram Gahlot said the park covers around 2,000 square metres and is used for children’s activities, senior citizens’ recreation and community events. “Our objection is not against shopping facilities, but against taking away the only sizeable park available to the residents,” he said.
Gahlot alleged that the site had been earmarked for an LSC and questioned the need for another shopping facility in the residential complex. Residents also argued that the proposed development would be contrary to provisions of the Delhi Master Plan, though the report did not include a response from the Delhi Development Authority or an independent assessment of the planning position.
The residents further raised concerns about the possible impact on trees and claimed that around 300 to 400 trees could be affected by the proposed construction. The RWA also said excavation had recently begun at the site. According to Gahlot, residents gathered after a JCB arrived and stopped the work after only a small portion of the site had been excavated.
The dispute also centres on the difference between the existing Convenience Shopping Centre and the proposed Local Shopping Centre. Gahlot said the current shopping facility had remained largely non-functional for years and questioned why another commercial facility was required within the residential complex.
For residents, the issue is therefore not limited to the proposed building. They say the site serves as a shared open space for recreation and community use, and that its conversion could reduce access to public amenities within the housing complex. Their concerns also include the effect of excavation and construction on existing trees and activities held in the park.
The RWA said it had approached the Lieutenant Governor, DDA officials, the local MP and MLA, and the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the proposal. It has threatened to intensify the agitation and said residents plan to begin a hunger strike on Sunday if their demands are not addressed.
The DDA was contacted for its response to the residents’ allegations about the proposed LSC, the status of the park and the ongoing construction activity. No response had been received when the report was published. The next stated step by the residents is the proposed hunger strike on Sunday.
