NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has dismissed a petition by residents of Model Town-II seeking to convert a parcel of land, adjacent to an MCD school, into an ornamental park, ruling that its use as a playground for schoolchildren is vital for their physical and overall development.
In a judgment delivered on August 19, Justice Mini Pushkarna upheld the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) decision, stressing that the “requirement of the said parcel of land for the school students as a playground is indispensable for their physical development and growth.”
The court noted that several parks already exist in the area, including a 100-acre facility, available for public use.
The case arose from a long-standing dispute dating back to 1987-88 when residents of F Block, Model Town-II, opposed the conversion of the plot into a multi-storied school building.
At the time, MCD had assured them that only a temporary shed would be built and the permanent structure would be shifted elsewhere. However, the school building was later constructed on the site, prompting litigation. A compromise led to the withdrawal of the earlier suit, but residents continued to press for the development of the remaining land into a park, citing an undertaking given in 2011.
When MCD began constructing a boundary wall and staircases around the land, the petitioners moved the high court again, arguing that the civic body had failed to honour its commitment to develop the area as an ornamental park.
MCD countered that the petitioners lacked locus standi and had not demonstrated any harm caused by the land’s use as a playground.