190 Delhi Parks Marked High Risk After Kalkaji Gang Rape, Only 16 Have CCTV

Days after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped at Delhi's Aastha Kunj Park near Kalkaji, a safety audit of all 736 parks managed by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has identified 190 parks as "high risk", found that 520 require additional lighting and revealed that only 16 parks currently have CCTV surveillance.The audit was carried out within a week following directions from Delhi Lieutenant Governor Sardar Taranjit Singh Sandhu. Of the 736 parks surveyed, 190 were categorised as High Risk, 258 as Medium Risk and 288 as Low Risk for priority-based safety interventions.What The Audit FoundThe DDA audit found that 520 parks require additional lighting. Of these, 231 are being taken up on priority. The authority said lighting-related work has already been completed in 106 parks following the audit conducted over the past week.The audit also highlighted the limited use of surveillance infrastructure in DDA parks. Only 16 parks currently have CCTV cameras. However, the agency has identified 323 additional parks where new CCTV cameras are proposed to be installed.Access-control issues were flagged in 163 parks. The DDA said it plans to convert unlockable gates into lockable gates in these parks.Safety information boards have already been installed in 115 parks, while work on 484 additional safety signages is underway.The audit further found issues related to boundary walls and missing grills in 399 parks. According to the DDA, repair work has already been addressed in 233 of these parks.Areas around toilets and abandoned structures were also identified as vulnerable spots that require corrective action.Measures Planned By DDAFollowing the audit, night patrolling has begun in 245 major parks. The DDA has also identified 134 parks that require armed guards or gunmen.Bike patrolling has been started in all 190 High-Risk parks, the authority said.DDA officials held a meeting with security agencies on September 28 to address security gaps highlighted during the audit.Biometric attendance for security guards is now operational in 602 parks and is being introduced in the remaining parks.The authority said contact details of local police stations and beat officers have been shared with field staff across all parks. Corresponding contact details have also been provided to police officials.The DDA is preparing standard operating procedures covering patrolling, guard performance, supervisor accountability, attendance, incident reporting and coordination with police.Security-related provisions in DDA tenders are also being revised following the audit.The authority has also begun structured meetings with Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) to identify park-specific security concerns and assign corrective action.A central master tracker and monitoring dashboard has been established to monitor the implementation of safety measures across parks.Senior DDA officers will also conduct weekly inspections.Gang-Rape At Aastha Kunj ParkThe audit comes after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by three men at knifepoint in Aastha Kunj Park.According to police, the girl had gone to Kalkaji Mandir with her 17-year-old male friend on Monday, her birthday. After offering prayers at the temple, the two bought chips and a bottle of water outside the Kalkaji Metro station and entered Aastha Kunj Park through Gate No. 7.The two were sitting on a bench and eating chips when three men allegedly approached them.The accused allegedly caught hold of the girl's friend, slapped him and claimed to be policemen when the two questioned them.They allegedly took away the teenagers' mobile phones and separated the girl from her friend. The accused also allegedly threatened them and took the girl to a secluded part of the park and raped her.