DDA to let firms maintain parks

NEW DELHI: Your neighbourhood DDA park will soon don a new look complete with bamboo kiosks, florist shops and hoardings. Delhi Development Authority is trying to redesign its green spaces by encouraging individuals and private entities to adopt its parks and use commercial spaces inside to recover their costs.
The idea is not new though-the land-owing agency introduced the same scheme a few months ago but it didn't bear fruit.The latest version of the scheme is expected to include public participation in policy formation.
DDA will let out all of its parks covering five acres or more to keep them in tip-top shape. Officials are focusing on the Corporate Social Responsibility segment of private companies and corporations. To help the companies reap some gains, DDA will allow them to operate hexagonal bamboo kiosks for selling magazines and food as well as offer space to sell flowers along with a corner to set up a nursery. The park furniture will be available for putting up hoardings and the place can be used to organize small events like flower shows.
"RWAs and corporations can pitch in to maintain the horticultural, civil and public utilities at the parks. This would be a good way to do their bit towards tending the areas. The agency will have to maintain all the public utilities, horticulture, civil and electrical works, against which it will get advertising rights for revenue generation," said a DDA official.
The official added that about 100 parks were adopted by RWAs and corporations the last time the scheme was introduced. The authority spends about Rs 300 crore annually on maintenance of parks. Across the city, DDA looks after 5,050 hectares or 12,000 acres of green space, which includes neighbourhood parks, district parks and city forests.