New Delhi: In New Moti Nagar’s A-block park, the usual laughter of children filled the air. But in a quiet corner, 19-year-old Sahil sat on an abdominal board with his eyes fixed on the shoulder wheel. At a close distance, his friend struggled on the cross walker. It’s an open gym.
“Be careful, that (gym equipment) is broken. Do you also want to die?” Sahil screamed, referring to the 13 October incident that saw four-year-old Avinash lose his life after the shoulder wheel of the A block gym collapsed on him.
The death in this Delhi neighbourhood has put a big question mark on the safety of open gyms across the capital, raising concerns on their condition and maintenance. In 2016, the Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD), which was then governed by the Aam Aadmi Party, launched the open gym initiative to promote a healthier lifestyle among the citizens. Now, this popular infrastructure is falling apart. Gym equipment lies broken, rusted, and missing due to theft. Neglect by the authorities, compounded by budget cuts and inadequate MCD staffing, has left these public fitness spaces unfit. An unsafe open gym infrastructure is also a big worry for lakhs of women across the national capital who depend heavily on these to stay fit and can’t afford private gyms.
“Open gyms are the subject of politics. The biggest issue in MCD is that we have limited resources. There are financial crises,” said Rakesh Joshi, AAP councillor of New Moti Nagar.
After the incident, Joshi is actively addressing the issue. He admitted that these facilities served as effective “political tools” to attract voters. Joshi has instructed his juniors to prepare a report on the condition of the open gyms in his area.
MCD’s open gyms are free, conveniently located, and accessible to the community, particularly for women who may not visit traditional gyms. They provide them an easy way to stay fit.
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The maintenance load
According to Joshi, maintenance of the A block gym was done last year and MCD workers regularly inspect the equipment. He emphasized that gardeners and section officers are responsible for routine inspections but admitted that staff shortages at the corporation have contributed to the maintenance issues.
“Every park has a gardener. The problem is MCD is not hiring the gardener and the existing staff are retiring,” he added. A gardener is responsible for park maintenance, and as an MCD employee, he’s in a position to raise complaints about faulty equipment.
According to a senior MCD official in the horticulture department, the corporation manages around 15,000 parks, but only 2,756 gardeners are employed, leaving 7,872 positions vacant.
Each open gym unit costs around Rs 7-8 lakh and is funded by the MP/MLA local area development (LAD) fund.
The biggest issue in the MCD is the absence of a standing committee. The standing committee holds financial authority, and without it, much-needed work remains incomplete. The commissioner, with limited power, is unable to tackle these challenges effectively. According to Prakash, the new corporation was formed in December 2022, but no committee has been established since then.
“Because there is no standing committee, the big tenders that were supposed to happen, the big plans that we had for Delhi, have been stopped for a long time,” he added.
He alleged that whenever his fellow councillors raise these issues, BJP councillors create a ruckus and make noise, preventing the house from running smoothly. As a result, the MCD is not fulfilling its services properly.
Daryaganj’s AAP councillor Sarika Chaudhary claimed to have consistently raised concerns about law and order issues in local parks, where drug fiends and thieves often damage equipment. She highlighted that any new installations are quickly stolen. Last year, gates and locks were installed in the park, but even the locks were stolen.
“There are people who come and break things. They take away things. Sometimes they steal them and sell them at lower prices,” said Choudhary.
Choudhry said she had filed complaints with the MCD and the police, but nothing has happened. “They do not take any action.”
Last year, the MCD issued a tender to repair over 1,200 open gyms in municipal parks. The MCD has 1,775 open gyms: 550 in North Delhi, 1,100 in South Delhi, and the remaining in East Delhi.
A senior NDMC official said the biggest challenge in maintaining open gyms is the inconsistency in equipment structure, design, and size, as different companies have installed them. This variation makes the repair and maintenance work difficult.
“Then we wait for other equipment to be damaged so we replace them all together,” said the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity. “If you purchase it from a specified company with specific specifications, then you will have to get service from the same company.”
He said putting a tender out for sourcing broken parts isn’t an easy option either. Companies winning the bid may not be able to supply the exact parts fitted by companies that installed the gym.
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Fund crunch
In a red suit with a dupatta draped over her head and a big red bindi on her forehead, Saroj Kashyap (50) entered the open gym at Jasola. She headed directly to the twister and standing on the iron paddle, carefully gripped the iron circle. She began twisting her body from right to left.
For Kashyap, it’s a daily routine and the best way to stay fit. While she typically walks in the parks, she values the additional facilities provided by the MCD. As she ages and faces physical challenges, she relies on the open gyms to maintain her health.
However, she is disappointed by the broken equipment that has been neglected by the authorities.
“Some of the equipment is rusted and stiff, making it difficult to move. Nobody has come here to check them. This machine may also break down, and then we won’t be able to use it,” she said while exercising.
For Kashyap, an open gym is a part of the National Capital’s culture that requires urgent attention.
Kashyap and Choudhary fear this neglect may end this culture, resulting in fewer women coming to parks.
“There is no fund. How can the gym be repaired?,” Choudhary said in an angry tone.
Choudhary receives complaints regarding development works from time to time, but her fund has run out.
Another councillor from North Delhi said since the last three years, the councillor fund used to be Rs 1 crore annually. It has now dropped to Rs 15 lakh.
A senior MCD officer, who retired last year, expressed his concern about the lack of awareness among the public regarding the use of open gyms and the complaint process.
“If the gyms break down, no one reports it. That is why they remain broken. They keep using it until it gets fixed.”
The official quoted above flagged the lack of proper redressal system for people to rise complaints.
“If you won’t file a complaint, they assume that everything is functional there,” he said
He suggested parks should have nameplates displaying cleaner and gardener, along with their contact numbers for public access.
At the corner of the Moti Nagar open gym, a green iron board tells that the gym was built in 2018. Sahil recalled a tragedy from eight years ago when his 10-year-old cousin died at the very spot where Avinash lost his life nearly two weeks ago. She had been swinging when a rusted pole gave way and fell on her, killing her instantly.
This is the second time Sahil has witnessed such an incident. The incident from eight years ago has not completely faded, but Avinash’s death has given him fresh trauma.
Ravi Kumar, another New Moti Nagar resident, highlighted the emotional distance practiced by the neighbourhood toward the deceased family that belonged to Nepal.
“The deceased family is from Nepal, people barely connect with them. If this child had been from the locality, it could have been more impactful.”
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)