Foul Smell, High Fees and Festivities: Delhi's New CBD Protest Site Under Lens

A ground report from Delhi examines the Delhi Development Authority's CBD Ground near Karkardooma, designated by Delhi Police as an alternative site for holding protests alongside Ramlila Ground and Burari. The 12-acre ground is plagued by foul smell, five to six feet tall grass, waste dumping, open defecation, and unhygienic conditions, with no proper boundary wall or visible lighting installations for safety. The venue is booked until late October for Ramlila and Dussehra celebrations. An examination of the DDA booking system reveals that no designated protest category exists, leaving the commercial category as the only viable route. Booking the ground for one day under this category incurs over one lakh twenty-seven thousand rupees in booking fees, along with substantial security deposits and cleaning charges, raising questions about accessibility for non-political civic groups and regular citizens.