The government's requisition of a historic green space in Delhi has ignited a fierce debate about air quality and heat stress in India's scorching capital. For decades, the social highlight of winters in Delhi for the "beautiful people" was the polo season at the Jaipur Polo Ground. Royalty, diplomats, and wealthy industrialists gathered to watch polo players compete under the mild sun, followed by champagne lunches and tent-pegging displays.
Government takeover ends an era
Now the gates to the club are padlocked. Government officials took over the six-hectare (15-acre) site this week, ending an era that began when the Maharaja of Jaipur gave the land to the Delhi Polo Club nearly a century ago. The club has fallen foul of the government's desire to take over the polo grounds, along with the nearby colonial-era Delhi Gymkhana Club (11 hectares), a beloved second home for affluent Delhi families. Although the cases are still in court, officials have taken over the polo grounds as part of the government's plan for a "larger public purpose and benefit," as lawyers told the courts.
"I've played polo here for 40 years," said a polo enthusiast who did not wish to be named. "So did my father and my grandfather. People may say it's an elite sport but, unlike in many other countries, anyone could come and watch the matches absolutely free when the season was on. There was no entry or parking ticket."
Critics fear high-rise construction
No specific details of the "purpose" have been provided, but critics are convinced the government will build high-rise apartment blocks to house civil service and defence personnel. Some Indians highlighted the elite nature of the "sport of kings" and the huge tract of empty land it enjoys. But environmentalists argue that the polo grounds are one of the few open, green spaces left in a city where residents can barely breathe. The government census shows a population of about 23 million in the capital, up from 17 million in 2011.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna of the Delhi high court expressed concern that if high-rise flats were built on the empty polo grounds, it would push the city's already densely built-up construction too far. "All of us are going to suffocate and die," she observed. "You have no idea how we are choking. The small lung that we have, you are going to take it away."
Heatwaves and urban heat islands
In recent years, Delhi has been hit by longer-than-usual heatwaves and extreme heat stress. Concrete and asphalt create urban "heat islands." While the well-to-do are comfortable inside air-conditioned homes, outdoor workers suffer. Pavan Das, a homeless auto-rickshaw driver, sleeps on the pavement in Bharat Nagar. "I know it's dangerous. Other homeless people have been run over by speeding cars but, like this, I get a breeze from the passing cars," he said. "Otherwise, it's suffocatingly hot and I can't sleep."
According to a report last month by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 97 of the world's 100 hottest cities are in India. Open spaces are shrinking. Parks are turned into spaces for the city's 8 million vehicles, and children have hardly anywhere to play. Homeowners narrow roads by placing massive pot plants near pavements, and others encroach on pavements with security guard cabins.
Infrastructure stretched to limit
Every bit of infrastructure is stretched to the limit. It is only possible to breathe a little more freely in elite areas such as "Lutyens' Delhi," home to the political class and the wealthy, and the location of the Gymkhana and polo club. Bhavreen Kandhari, an anti-pollution campaigner and founder of Warrior Moms, dreads the idea of multi-storey buildings on the land. Even though the cases are still being heard, the government has already taken over the polo grounds despite the club having paid rent until 2030.
"The issue is not polo versus public use," said Kandhari. "It's open green space versus construction. Delhi can't afford to lose yet another open green space, which serves to reduce heat stress, support urban biodiversity and provide vital breathing space in a city struggling with pollution and rising temperatures."
