Where are the grounds vanishing? Where are the schools with open play areas?
Schools nowadays are being converted into multistoried concrete buildings with hardly any space for playgrounds. Most schools hardly have any space for play areas, let alone grounds for football, hockey, basketball, and other games.
The bench of the Uttarakhand high court had back in 2023 taken suo motu cognisance of the poor condition of children living in areas where they have no playgrounds and have to resort to playing on the streets. Cricket stars Sachin, Sehwag, and Ganguly also began their journeys by playing on the streets, but in 2026, when our country is on the verge of becoming the world’s third-largest economy, players should not be made on the streets but in properly maintained playgrounds with trained coaches and players who have made the country proud through their prowess in games and sports.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami had announced the conversion of Purnanand Playground, Munni Ki Reti, Dhalwala, Haridwar, into a national-level football ground and sports stadium in July 2023 and is set to inaugurate the stadium on July 17, 2026. The state government has been vigorously working in this direction and is taking the necessary steps to develop the state in the realm of sports by creating infrastructure such as Maharana Pratap Sports College, Dehradun, and the Uttarakhand State Sports University, Gaulapar, Haldwani.
In recent years, the government has taken commendable steps to encourage sports among students through scholarships, incentives, and employment opportunities. These initiatives reflect a progressive vision to nurture young talent and promote a culture of physical fitness and excellence in sports at the school and college levels. But it is to be noted that most government schools in Uttarakhand hardly have any playgrounds or sports facilities.
The schools are in far-flung areas, and the students do not have easy access to the developing infrastructure.
The cost of transportation to the far-off sporting complexes is not readily within the means of the students.
The government, in order to achieve this vision, has to provide more such sporting facilities in all 13 districts of Uttarakhand and facilitate the students in every possible way.
Trained coaches and sportsmen who have won laurels should be made available to all students.
The facilities need not be created in every school but can instead be shared among schools, where students can go, as in an exchange programme, for learning or becoming mentees under professional mentors of different games throughout the year.
Students should be trained to develop a love for sports right from the foundational stage.
Moreover, keeping the long-term vision of encouraging sports in mind, private schools that have the necessary facilities and playgrounds can also be utilised to aid this noble vision by sharing their playgrounds for the cause.
However, there exists a concerning contradiction at the implementation level of this policy. While students are being encouraged to actively participate in sports, private schools that invest in providing open grounds and sports infrastructure are increasingly being burdened with high property taxes on such open spaces.
Open playgrounds and sports facilities are essential for the holistic development of children. They not only contribute to physical well-being but also instil discipline, teamwork, and resilience—qualities that are foundational to nation-building.
Unfortunately, the imposition of heavy property taxes on these open grounds is contradictory to the vision that the state holds.
Schools having the requisite playgrounds are facing the burden of heavy taxation on open spaces in addition to their school buildings, which is a discouraging factor for schools to maintain such facilities. Many institutions are being compelled to utilise available land for construction, leading to the rise of multistoried school buildings with limited or no open play areas.
This trend is detrimental to the state’s long-term vision of promoting sports and physical education among students. Sports should not just be encouraged at higher levels but should be developed from the very foundational stage of education so that we can train our children to become future Olympians. Let us learn from the example of our neighbouring country, China, which nurtures the highest number of Olympic medal winners by identifying and mentoring talent from a young age at the school level.
It is urgent that the concerned authorities review and rationalise the taxation policies related to school playgrounds and sports infrastructure. Providing tax relief or exemptions on open playgrounds will strongly support schools in sustaining and expanding sports facilities, thereby aligning with the government’s broader objective of fostering a sports-friendly environment.
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
