The Last Playground 2: Why Pune's Parks Are Thriving While Open Spaces Shrink
With playgrounds vanishing in Pune's urban landscape, the city’s 216 parks emerge as vital recreational spaces for children and senior citizens | Sajjad Sayyed reports.
Published : May 26, 2026 at 9:00 AM IST
Pune: At a time when most parks in Indian cities have increasingly become symbols of neglect - with broken swings, unsafe corners, garbage-strewn lawns and shrinking green cover - Pune has a different story to tell. Here, parks are not merely existent but have become the city’s last remaining public playgrounds.
As summer vacations fill the city with children searching for spaces to run, play and breathe outdoors, Pune’s parks are witnessing a huge rise in footfalls. The sight is heartening: toddlers on slides to senior citizens on morning walks, as thousands frequent these green pockets every single day, not just for recreation, but because rapidly urbanising neighbourhoods now offer very few open grounds.
Known as the “City of Gardens,” Pune today carries the burden of balancing urban growth with public space preservation. And in this changing landscape, the city’s parks have reshaped with time and evolved into essential community lifelines.
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) currently has 216 parks across the city under its jurisdiction. Among the most popular are Sarasbaug, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje Garden, Peshwe Park, Katraj Zoo and PL Deshpande Garden. Most of these are currently packed with visitors since school holidays have begun.
Unlike cities struggling with crumbling civic infrastructure, Pune’s administration has taken care of its own even before any problem comes knocking. The parks are maintained well, even as the PMC’s Garden Department has intensified inspections, repairs, sanitation drives and greenery management to ensure the parks remain safe and functional amid the seasonal rush.
Harishchandra Raut, Junior Engineer in PMC’s Garden Department, said the park timings have been extended during the summer season to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
"Parks are witnessing huge footfall during summer vacations. To ensure everyone gets their share of time to relax, parks are now open from 6 AM to 11 AM and again from 4 PM to 9 PM. After the parks become empty late at night, staff members clean the parks and restrooms," he explained.
He also said that the department is paying special attention to irrigation systems, lawns and trees to keep the parks green despite the harsh summer temperatures. For children, however, these parks mean a whole world of their own, where they can be themselves, play and have fun.
As concrete jungles lay siege on any visible open grounds, many children no longer have neighbourhood spaces where they can gather freely. That has made public parks one of the few remaining outdoor spaces where children can spend time during recreational hours.
Recognising this pressure, PMC officials say that for them, children’s safety is a priority irrespective of any month or season. Slides, swings and play structures are being regularly inspected, while damaged equipment is repaired immediately to prevent accidents.
“Usage of playground equipment increases during school holidays. So we carry out regular inspections and repair broken parts immediately to ensure children remain safe,” Raut said.
Among the biggest attractions this summer is the famous toy train at Peshwe Park, which has been a crowd puller. So every evening, children come together at Sarasbaug, which remains one of Pune’s busiest recreational hubs for families.
Meanwhile, Katraj Zoo has also emerged as a major crowd-puller. Officials say special summer arrangements are being made for animals there, including coolers, water-based cooling systems and daily baths for elephants.
Yet, ask children if they only need parks or something more, and they say - playgrounds. Pune is also among many Indian cities that face the problem of shrinking playgrounds. And parks are crowded because they are compensating for that loss.
The difference is that Pune appears to be acknowledging this transition early, unlike most places and treating parks as an integral part of city life and living. Officials are also urging citizens to share responsibility for preserving these public spaces.
Parents and older people have been requested not to use children’s play equipment meant for those below 12 years of age, while visitors are being encouraged to dispose of waste properly and use designated bottle bins for plastic waste.
“These parks are not just municipal property. They belong to all of us,” Raut said in an appeal to citizens.
0In a country where urban childhood is steadily moving indoors with increasing coaching centres, mobile screens and cramped apartments, Pune’s parks are different and offer something increasingly rare - safe, accessible outdoor spaces. And perhaps that is why, this summer, these parks feel less like gardens and more like the city’s last playgrounds.
Read More:
The Last Playground | Concrete Jungles, Crumbling Parks: Are Our Children Safe Anywhere Anymore?
