Safdarjung Enclave Residents Write to Somnath Bharti to Save Deer Park

Residents of Safdarjung Enclave have written to Delhi MLA Somnath Bharti, asking for his intervention to save the Deer Park, located in Hauz Khas. Written by filmmaker Sagari Chhabra, the letter to Bharti has been signed by 100 residents of areas near the park, who are alarmed by interventions that can potentially destroy the city's last green belt.

In her letter, Chhabra highlights how the park has been dismantled in the name of development, starting with the attempt to change the name of the park from Deer Park to AN Jha Mini Zoo. She points out that deers have been there in the park since the 1970s, which is how the park got its name. The change in the name will alter things as a zoo has different implications. Moreover, the images attached in the letter show that authorities carry out tree-felling in the park to utlise the land for commercial purposes.

The letter details how the large parcels of the land have been taken over and are being used for other activities.

"The Picnic Hut designated as such in the master plan is being used as an office. This is not

appropriate. People have the right to use the picnic hut for a picnic. In fact, due to the presence

of monkeys, etc, it is not possible to picnic out on the grass. Kindly restore the Picnic Hut to its

original use. The twp picnic cottages have also been taken over. At least one is used for a committee room. The other is being renovated," the letter read.

Chhabra also talks about how the Hauz Khas lake is being destroyed by man-made structures.

"The idea of building an enclosure made of green plastic for the ducks is completely misguided. Over time this will erode and the ducks will die of pecking at the plastic. The plastic will also slowly kill the microbes on which the flora and fauna in the park exist. The lake should be a living lake."

Moreover, large parts of the area have been parcelled off for privatisation and development. For instance, the Rose Garden was destroyed earlier for a Delhi Metro project. Additionally, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has acquired a large portion of land and put up fences to limit the access to parkgoers. New signs have come up in that part of the park, claiming that it is available for rent.

A poster depicting that the park land is available for rent.