The sports centre at Palam Vihar
What can you possibly do with a dump yard? What really! How about a sports centre? That’s what the Palam Vihar RWA (PVRWA) did on a budget of approximately Rs 7,00,000.
Says Sunil Yadav, RWA president, “Neither the developer and the authorities had any planning! There was no dedicated playing area in the entire Palam Vihar.”
He further adds, “The parks in the vicinity could not be used by the kids, as senior citizens used it for morning and evening walks. There was no place for the kids to play, without getting an earful from the elders. So we thought of developing a designated playground with a badminton court, a lawn tennis court and a cricket pitch.”
The RWA is also hiring coaches for the centre.
“Before being turned into a sports centre, the area was being used for dumping garbage — it was the breeding ground for mosquitoes and flies. Now, the area is clean and children can freely play there,” said KV Kaushik, a coach at the centre.
Despite a lot of asking around and research, the landowner of the area could not be identified. The association then simply decided to go ahead with its plans. “We turned the dump yard into a playground. If somebody claims ownership of the land, we will clear the ground and relocate the sports centre.”
And the residents couldn’t be happier.
Anil Yadav, a resident, said, “There are hardly any open grounds in Gurgaon. Indoor games, TV and mobiles have replaced outdoor sports — and we can’t really blame the kids. And they do no physical exercise. This playground will hopefully change all that. The initiative will give our children the freedom to play outside. The step couldn’t be more opportune, as summer vacations are fast approaching. The kids can now utilise their energy in a positive way.”
