Exactly a month after the alleged gang rape of a 17-year-old girl in south-east Delhi’s Astha Kunj Park, the Delhi police on Wednesday (October 21, 2026) concluded their survey of 1,600 parks in the Capital. The report will soon be submitted to Lieutenant-Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and civic agencies, said an officer.

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At several open, green spaces, boundary walls were found to be broken, CCTV cameras dysfunctional, lighting inadequate and security personnel lacking. The police have suggested forming local units to inspect parks regularly.

The survey followed a Supreme Court directive on September 28. The court took suo motu cognisance of a spate of sexual assault incidents against minors and women in the Delhi-National Capital Region, and directed Delhi Police to identify vulnerable areas, step up patrolling, and undertake an audit of lighting and CCTV coverage in public spaces within four weeks.

Speaking about the survey, Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Devesh Chandra Srivastava said the teams examined security arrangements at each location, including security guard deployment, suspicious individuals found loitering on and around the premises, preventive action taken and arrests made, as well as the recovery of weapons or other items from suspects, if any.

“The audit covered several aspects of park security, including boundary walls, regulated and notified timings, CCTV cameras, illumination and private security guards. Officers also assessed whether overgrown trees obstructed CCTV footage or visibility across the parks. A comprehensive approach is being adopted to enhance security by coordination and collaboration with all stakeholders,” he said.

At some locations, footage was not being stored for the mandatory period of one month while cameras were incorrectly positioned and failed to cover parts of the parks, leaving blind spots, Mr. Srivastava said. Inadequate lighting and the absence of private security guards were also flagged.

The police have recommended setting up police booths in larger parks, deploying PCR vans, pruning trees to improve visibility, installing high-mast lights and strengthening CCTV surveillance. They have also suggested that CCTV control rooms be monitored by police personnel to assess whether the systems are functioning effectively.

In the North district, 45 parks were surveyed, including 43 large parks and two smaller ones. The North West district covered 98 parks, comprising 26 large and 72 small parks. Both districts have substantial student populations and are hubs for educational institutions. In the Central district, 69 parks were surveyed, including 31 large parks and 38 small ones.

The report also contains details of a security audit of nearly 3,000 educational institutions, including woman-only colleges, and recommended that pink booths be set up near those.

The security audit of educational institutions covered arrangements at main and other gates, boundary walls and fencing, verification of staff and workers, lighting and dark spots, CCTV coverage, and abandoned buildings around campuses. Officials are also examining the presence of unauthorised vendors selling liquor or tobacco and the availability of safe transport facilities.

The police have directed that pink police booths be installed near educational institutions and PCR vans be deployed at all locations to ensure a prompt response in the event of an incident.