This Private Public Partnership (PPP) model, approved by the MCD Standing Committee on Monday, will reintroduce the policy that was discontinued before the unification of the three erstwhile corporations.
Four years after the policy was discontinued, Residential Welfare Associations (RWAs) across the Capital will adopt and maintain parks in their localities, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will pay the monthly maintenance charges of Rs. 13,500 per acre.
According to civic body officials, MCD manages more than 1,500 parks covering an area of around 5,200 acres.
Officials said that the lack of funds and overdue payments made it difficult to continue the policy.
Earlier, the erstwhile south paid corporation paid Rs 13,500 per acre, the north corporations paid Rs 8,000, and the east corporations paid Rs. 8,660.
MCD officials said there is a shortage of gardeners, which is causing problems for the civic body’s horticulture department in maintaining parks and other green areas.
According to the civic body, there are 6,433 sanctioned posts for gardeners in the horticulture department, but 71.5 per cent of them remain vacant. Currently, 1,018 gardeners are employed on a permanent basis, and 812 work under the Welfare Measure scheme, which offers contractual appointments to the sons, daughters, or wives of deceased gardeners.
Through their president, secretary, or authorised representative, registered RWAs will have to submit a detailed application to the concerned zonal deputy director of the Horticulture Department. After the commissioner’s approval, the park can be adopted, and it will be regularly monitored by MCD supervisory staff.
RWAs will take care of general pruning, abiding by the forest department’s SOPs for plantation, waste removal, irrigation, land mowing, and beautification. The associations cannot have any permanent structural changes made to them, nor can they use the premises for commercial activities.
The civic body will provide compost as per availability and lifting of green waste arising from the park, and maintain existing infrastructure such as gyms, lights, gazebos, and children’s play apparatus.
Officials said the commissioner has the right to terminate the contract at any time in the interest of the civic body.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
