Noida Sec 78 locals demand audit of Vedvan Park over ‘poor’ upkeep

The Noida authority has maintained that the park is under maintenance and that certain facilities have been temporarily shut down

Residents of Sector 78 have demanded a full technical audit of Vedvan Park, alleging poor construction quality, lack of maintenance, and non-delivery of several promised features. Meanwhile, the Noida authority has maintained that the park is under maintenance and that certain facilities have been temporarily shut down.

Vedvan Park was inaugurated in 2023 as Noida’s first Vedic theme park (HT Archive)

Inaugurated in 2023 as Noida’s first “Vedic theme park,” Vedvan Park was developed across 100 acres at a cost of ₹27 crore. It was envisioned to introduce visitors to Vedic literature through installations, more than 150 varieties of medicinal and Vedic plants, a laser show, jogging and cycling tracks, and sculptural displays.

Residents, particularly from Antriksh Golf View 2, recently filed a formal complaint with the Noida authority, alleging that the park has deteriorated due to poor upkeep. “The infrastructure of Vedvan Park is currently in bad condition, requiring proper maintenance on a priority basis. The core surveillance system has failed, as all 40 CCTVs are non-functional and have been for months because no AMC was made,” said Ranjan Samantaray, a Sector 78 resident.

Samantaray added that the lack of maintenance has also affected basic facilities. “Security services are poor, demonstrated by street dogs roaming the park and alleged corruption, including black marketing on park laser show tickets by security staff and security guards selling water bottles during evening hours. Furthermore, public amenities are deteriorating: the park’s water cooler is non-functional since last year; additionally, parking areas, rubber tiles, running tracks, and bicycle tracks are also damaged, and the condition of most of the signage boards and statues is also in bad condition,” he said.

Residents also claimed that although funds were allocated for repair work, no visible improvements have been made. “I think at least 10 residents that are in my morning walk group have put up their complaints and there are a few hundreds more in different societies,” said Umesh Pande, another resident.

Several visitors alleged that the park lacks the Vedic and medicinal plants it was supposed to showcase. “I only ever see boards. I never see any medicinal plant in my life, been here since day one. It feels like they have made this park basically like a jungle,” said one resident, requesting anonymity.

Concerns over safety have also grown, particularly among women. Gargi and Vidhi, students from Assotech Windsor Court, said, “We can’t step out after 8pm because of the crowd at the park which has led to issues like women’s safety and pickpocketing.”

Responding to the allegations, Anand Mohan Singh, deputy director (horticulture), Noida authority, said missing plants were often due to public interference. “The public uproots and takes the plants out. They take out pots from our crossings. We tried to plant it two to four times. We will get it planted again.” He added that re-turfing work and water body cleaning are currently underway.

Meanwhile, Sanjeev Tyagi, a representative of the park’s maintenance contractor, admitted that “some variety might have been missed or damaged, or someone pulled it out,” but denied any misuse of public funds. “Plantation will start after January 25th or during the rainy season,” he said. On the laser show, Tyagi added that it was “closed right now” due to cleaning and police restrictions during Diwali.

Vandana Tripathy, additional CEO of Noida authority, acknowledged that the maintenance tender had expired but said renewal is in process. “We have a lot of people coming into the park, especially during the evening, which makes the upkeep tough at times. Initially, the park was free, which led to overcrowding, but right now we are charging people a minimal fee. After Diwali, we will have the park running with no issues,” she said.