Noida DM visits shelter home, wants open space for kids to play

Noida: During a recent inspection of a boys' correctional home in Phase 2, the Noida DM asked the Juvenile Justice Board to make provisions for the children to play in the open. Currently, the 11 juveniles lodged at the home do not have any open space to play and have to spend all their time in closed building premises. "According to the recommendations of the Juvenile Justice committee set up by the High Court to implement JJ Act, children should not be confined to indoors throughout the day, and should get some time to play in the open," DM Manish Verma told TOI.In response to the DM's directions, officials from the Juvenile Justice Board arranged for the children to use a nearby park for outdoor activities on Tuesday. "We will be taking all the children on a rotation basis to play in the park. On Tuesday, 12 children played volleyball in presence of the district sports officer," a JJB official said."The correction home aligns with the guidelines under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, which emphasises creating a child-friendly environment conducive to rehabilitation," he added.The correction home located at the Old Court building in Phase-2, Noida, houses 92 children in conflict with law (CCLs), of which 11 are from GB Nagar while others are from Saharanpur and Ghaziabad.Experts in juvenile justice stress the importance of outdoor play areas in correction homes to support the psychological and emotional health of children. "So far, the children played in a hall . Games like table tennis, chess, and other board games were provided to the children," said the JJB official.
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