A park for all seasons set to come up near East Delhi lake

The proposal,first mooted in 1994,had remained untouched as the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) was not able to transfer the requisite land to the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC). In 2009,the DDA finally handed over a plot of 6.33 acres. The total forested area next to the lake is 170 acres.

Constructed at a cost of

Rs 8 crore,the project is expected to be completed by the year-end. “Work on the project started in May and should be completed by December,” said Joses Kurien,Chief Engineer of DTTDC. The park has been divided into four parts,dedicated to each season. Each of the portion will get plants corresponding to its season.

“The idea is that at least one side of the park should be in full bloom in any season,” said Vivek Bansal,Superintending Engineer in-charge of the project .

So in the summer portion of the park you will see Cassia Fistula or Indian Labarnum,and the spring portion of the garden will have lilies and dahlias.

As part of the project,the lake is also being restored. The waterbody is one of the largest lakes in Delhi,covering an area of 2.5 km. It is largely rain-fed,though it has been lying dry for the last few years.

“Despite heavy rains last year,the lake remained dry. We have installed borewells to pump water in the depressed area,” said a senior engineer.

The restoration work will only be done in an area of 300 metres from the lake. A sandstone pathway is being constructed with benches.

A major portion of the park is reserved for soft adventure activities. Once completed,the DTTDC will hunt for an operator to man the activity area. The activities include fibre rock wall climbing,zorbing,inflatable wall climbing,etc.

At one point during planning,the DTTDC also shortlisted bungee jumping as an activity here,but it was later scrapped. The entry to the park will be through tickets.