S Delhi residents turn neglected space into ‘garden of pride’

New Delhi: Till about five years ago, this area in the heart of south Delhi was marked by stinking garbage, overflowing sewers and encroached public spaces.

It was notorious for unruly elements, leading to a sense of insecurity among locals. Now, thanks to an extraordinary initiative by the residents, it has been transformed into a 45-acre oasis of leisure, mindfulness, conservation and a safe community space.

Under a project named ‘Vasant Udyaan’, a group of determined residents from Vasant Vihar, Munirka, Hill View Apartments, Police Colony and CBI Colony have turned the place into a beautiful park, or what they term the “garden of pride”, focused on sustainable irrigation and restored 14th-century monuments.

It did take years of persuasion though. The “Restore the Neighbourhood Initiative” began in 2017 by local stakeholders with the help of former LG Anil Baijal and an NGO, Citizen Action for Water Sustainability (CAWS), followed by conceptualisation of the project, landscaping and removal of squatters.