DDA Audit Classifies 190 Delhi Parks as High Risk After Aastha Kunj Assault
A comprehensive safety audit of all 736 parks managed by the Delhi Development Authority has classified 190 facilities as high risk, following the alleged gang-rape of a 17-year-old girl at Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji. Conducted within a week under directions from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the survey assessed priority-based safety interventions across the capital, categorising 190 parks as high risk, 258 as medium risk, and 288 as low risk.
The review exposed significant lapses in surveillance and lighting across Delhi's public green spaces. Only 16 of the 736 parks currently possess CCTV surveillance, prompting the DDA to propose camera installations in 323 additional parks. Furthermore, 520 parks were found to require additional lighting. The agency reported that lighting-related works have already been completed in 106 parks, with another 231 being tackled on a priority basis.
Physical security infrastructure also showed severe deficiencies. The audit flagged access-control issues in 163 parks, where the authority plans to convert unlockable gates into lockable ones. Deficiencies in boundary walls and missing iron grills were identified in 399 parks, with repairs already completed in 233 locations. Safety information signage has been erected in 115 parks, while work on 484 more signs remains underway. Officials also designated areas surrounding park toilets and abandoned structures as vulnerable zones requiring corrective intervention.
In response to the findings, the DDA has deployed bike patrolling across all 190 high-risk parks and launched night patrolling in 245 major parks. A total of 134 parks have been identified as requiring armed guards or gunmen. Biometric attendance systems for guards are currently active in 602 parks and are being expanded to the rest. On September 28, DDA officials convened a meeting with security agencies to resolve operational gaps and begin revising security terms in agency tenders.
The safety overhaul was initiated after a 17-year-old girl was assaulted at knifepoint inside Aastha Kunj Park. According to police, the girl and her 17-year-old male friend visited Kalkaji Mandir on Monday for her birthday, purchased snacks outside Kalkaji Metro station, and entered the park through Gate No. 7. While they were sitting on a bench, three men approached them, slapped the boy, falsely claimed to be police officers, seized their mobile phones, and took the girl to an isolated area where she was raped.
To ensure accountability, the DDA has set up a central master tracker and monitoring dashboard to oversee the rollout of upgrades. Contact details for local police stations and beat officers have been exchanged with park field staff, standard operating procedures are being prepared, and senior DDA officers are scheduled to conduct weekly inspections alongside structured meetings with Resident Welfare Associations.
