The troubling takeover of Bengaluru's open playgrounds

The Hindu

3 days ago

Blatant attempts to take over the city's open playgrounds have left Bengalureans scrambling to take the legal route. A recent court stay might have temporarily halted the controversial upgrade and proposed expansion of a basketball court in Indiranagar. But the spotlight is right back on a system that has been swallowing up the city's limited open spaces for infrastructure projects, denying children the right to access and freedom to play.
For the collective, I Change Indiranagar (ICIN) and local residents around Victory Grounds in Indiranagar 1st Stage, the protracted legal battle to save the ground has been propelled by a fear: apprehension that the proposed upgrade and development of the basketball court could be a cover to eventually deny access to local children. This trend has been visible in many parts of the city, and the residents are determined not to let it repeat here.
On its part, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) maintains that the upgraded court will remain accessible to the public and will not be privatised as feared. But both ICIN and the residents around the ground are not convinced. Several playgrounds that were once thriving, energetic hotspots of organic multi-sport activities have disappeared, replaced by flashy, access-controlled sporting facilities.
Disregard for open spaces
But more troubling is the disregard for open spaces in the land acquisition process for mega infrastructure projects. In a telling example, anthropologist and seasoned rights campaigner Usha Rao draws attention to three playgrounds taken over for the Namma Metro Line along a three-kilometre stretch: The Chhota Maidan in Shivajinagar, the Bamboo Bazaar Banda Ground and the Pottery Town playground.
The Banda Ground has been Usha's research focus for long. 'I have been studying it personally over so many years. It was a free space for very low income communities in an area where there are no large plots, and the roads are narrow and dangerous for children to play. It was also a community space. It was an Idgah ground with prayers and a place of celebration for Christmas, Ganapathy, Deepavali and other festivals. There is a mixed community around. Plus, at any point of time, one could see some 12 games going on,' she recalls.
In the original plan, Banda Ground was not the location for the Namma Metro station on the Gottigere-Nagawara Line. The station was to come up near the Cantonment Railway Station, aiding seamless shifts for passengers from one mode of transport to another. However, despite opposition from citizens and public transport experts, the location was shifted disrupting community life in and around the ground.
Barely a kilometre away is the site of the Metro's Pottery Town Station, once a dynamic community space and the only playground within a 3 km radius. Although part of the Pottery Town Government High School, this ground was open to children from Benson Town, Jayamahal and Williams Town to play football, cricket and other games. Today, the place is abuzz with construction activity.
Livability challenged
The takeover of playgrounds strikes at the very heart of Bengaluru's livability. Beyond traffic, this too has been a factor in lowering the city's score in global livability indices. As Usha points out, these open spaces go beyond games and double up as spots where children socialise, mix with people from different strata of society. Youngsters develop social skills through play, building friendships, learning to collaborate and resolve conflicts. These accessible play areas often nurture community cohesion while promoting mental health through physical activity.
Advocates for accessible public spaces wonder whether these factors are considered at all in the land acquisition process for big projects. To make way for a Metro Line, the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had earlier taken over the Jakkarayanakere playground, once a popular hangout for children in and around Seshadripuram. It is now only a nostalgic memory.
'Pay and play' exclusivity
The mushrooming of 'pay and play' sporting arenas across the city have indeed increased options for those who can afford them. Mobile apps allow people to book slots, the rates of which are inevitably out of reach of children from lower income groups. 'Kids from the neighbouring Binnamangala slum at the intersection of Indiranagar 100ft Road and Old Madras Road use the Victory Ground. Even the basketball court was used by these children,' says Sneha Nandihal from ICIN.
Active resistance from local residents have achieved success in the past in a few cases. An attempt to take over a shared playground in Thippasandra had met with vocal, multi-pronged protests by residents of the nearby Geethanjali Layout five years ago. As civic activist Jagadeesh Babu recalls, the move to put up a private cricket academy was challenged by citizens, who flooded the Palike Joint Commissioner with hundreds of SMSes and WhatsApp messages seeking action. Mounting protests eventually led to scrapping of the project.
Rising development pressure in the city's Central Business District (CBD) has reduced open spaces, with institutions prioritising infrastructure over play, says Rajeev G. Malagi, Programme Manager, Sustainable Cities and Transport at the World Resources Institute (WRI) India. 'Lifestyle shifts and mobile usage have further contributed to declining physical activity and youth well-being,' he explains.
URDPFI guidelines
The Centre's URDPFI (Urban and Regional Development Plans Formulation and Implementation) guidelines recommend 10 to 12 sqm of open space per person, he points out. 'However, Bengaluru is working towards achieving this. There is an urgent need to revive and strengthen Bengaluru's school playgrounds and open spaces to re-engage youth with the outdoors, supporting their holistic development while also enhancing the city's climate resilience and creating livable environments.'
Rajeev's recommendations to re-establish open spaces are these: Mandate all new schools to provide open play areas proportionate to student strength; transform school playgrounds into sports training centres accessible to youth and local communities; and create an interconnected network of open spaces including parks, playgrounds and public facilities. This network could be integrated with accessible public transport, walking and cycling infrastructure to support active urban living.
While decades-old playgrounds are being acquired for multiple projects, new open spaces are not being created. Usha warns that this will have large repercussions on generations to come. 'If an underground Metro station is built in place of a playground, will the space above become available for the children? No. Such places will be completely under security cameras with shops. It is a complete loss,' says the anthropologist, indicating the need for a total policy rethink on open spaces in the city.