The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has invited bids to develop an “Airplane Theme Park” in north Delhi’s Pitampura as part of its project to develop a new series of interactive children’s parks across the city, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

The park will feature large interactive structures fashioned as aeroplanes, slides, and play equipment which will also educate children about the aviation industry, said a senior civic official. The park will be located in the central park of the SU block Pitampura — spread over 20,000 sqm — under Ward 57 of the Keshavpuram zone. The tender document said that it will be built in the next four months at an estimated cost of ₹1,62,18,997.

HT had earlier reported that MCD has begun the process of developing an insect-themed children’s park near the Outer Ring Road in Rohini-Mangolpuri and an octopus theme park in Rohini’s Sector 21. The erstwhile South MCD had developed its first children’s park — Nandan Van — in Greater Kailash 1 N Block in 2018 with anime and animal themes at a cost of ₹1 crore. MCD is planning to develop at least one such park in each of its administrative zones for children.

“At the aviation park’s centre will be a giant replica of an aeroplane. There will be an informative gallery telling visitors about the history of the aviation sector and how planes were developed,” said a senior municipal official.

MCD manages more than 15,226 parks across its twelve zones but the number of parks meant specifically for children remains low. Over the years, the Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Delhi high court asked MCD to ensure that there is a place for children to play in its parks. At present, only designated corners for children exist in MCD parks at 1,300 sites and parks dedicated to children are fewer.

Rajeev Suri, a resident of Defence Colony who had filed a petition on children’s right to play in 2018, said that the Nandan Van in GK has been well received. He added that the entry fee for these facilities should be kept minimal so that children from all backgrounds can access them. “Our petition is pending before the Supreme Court. We have demanded that at least 25% of park space should be earmarked for active sports for children. The children’s corners with swings and slides are useful for children up to six or seven years but what about children between six and 16 years? Theme parks are good but there should be safe play spaces available in their neighbourhood parks as well.”

While the tender process for three sites has begun, similar parks are expected to come up above the Hauz Khas multilevel parking in the south zone, a portion of the historic Qudsia Bagh under City Sadar Paharganj zone and the park near the Ganga Ram Hospital in Rajendra Nagar for the Karol Bagh zone.

The other sites selected for the project include Vikaspuri, NDMC apartment in West, Swasthya Vihar near Scope Minar in East Delhi, Bhagat Singh Park Mukherjee Nagar near Civil Lines zone and central park Dilshad Garden for Shahadra North.