Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) Taranjit Singh Sandhu on Wednesday directed civic authorities to conduct safety audits of public parks across the Capital. The L-G gave the order after reviewing safety arrangements at a meeting attended by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Commissioner, the Commissioner of Police, and the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Lok Niwas stated in a release.

The move comes after a 17-year-old girl was gang-raped allegedly by three men who posed as police personnel at Astha Kunj Park near Kalkaji Mandir in south-east Delhi on Monday. All three accused were arrested on Tuesday. A city court remanded the accused in two-day judicial custody on Wednesday.

The Delhi police have not sought their custody so far. Further investigation is under way in the case.

According to the Lok Niwas statement, the safety audit will examine lighting, deployment of guards at all entry and exit points, patrolling inside parks – particularly after sunset – and cleanliness and sanitation facilities. Authorities have also been asked to look into whether some parks can be handed over to residents’ welfare associations or private entities for maintenance and upkeep.

The L-G directed officials to engage with nearby schools, colleges, and other institutions to seek feedback on facilities at parks. Regular visits by beat constables and police personnel responsible for the respective areas have been ordered to strengthen security, the release stated.

In a separate statement, the DDA stated that its field staff and security personnel have been directed to maintain heightened vigilance, particularly during evening and night hours. Parks with multiple gates may restrict late-evening access to selected entrances. The authority has also initiated measures to identify dark spots and install additional lighting and CCTV cameras at vulnerable locations, it stated.

The DDA will also coordinate with the Delhi police to monitor suspicious or illegal activity around parks, it added.

Meanwhile, the L-G approved six multi-modal integration plans for metro stations and two road projects at the 70th governing body meeting of the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning & Engineering) Centre. The projects aim to improve last-mile connectivity and ease congestion.