Moo-ving in: Neglect turns Delhi park into cattle shelter, residents frustrated

NEW DELHI: A neighbourhood public park meant for recreation has gradually turned into a grazing ground, with cattle roaming freely alongside children, senior citizens and families who use the space daily.

Welcome to Baba Mangaldas Park in Aya Nagar, where stray and owned cattle move freely across lawns and walkways. Broken boundary walls, exposed wires and open gates have effectively turned the park into a daytime shelter, with cattle reportedly left here by owners and taken back in the evening for milking.

Residents say the situation has continued for years. “It’s always been like this,” says Mohammad Nizam, 26, who has set up a stall inside the park every Sunday for the past six years from 11 am to 8 pm. He says unchecked cattle movement disrupts park users and vendors during the weekly market. Pointing to damaged fencing, he adds that parts of the boundary wall have been broken for five to six years. “This can be fixed in a day or two, but there is no guarantee it will be done,” he says.

For families, the concern is safety.

Manoj Kumar, 48, who visits with his 13-year-old daughter and a three-year-old relative, says that though there have been no reported attacks, the risk remains. “They haven’t attacked anyone,” he says, “but they fight among themselves and suddenly start running. My children are scared to come here alone, so I accompany them.”

Sangeeta Negi, 34, recalls when the park was enclosed and better maintained. “It used to be very nice, with green grass everywhere. There was only one gate and it was closed from all sides,” she says. “Now it is open from everywhere.”