Demolition begins at Ajmer’s Seven Wonders Park, 6 months after Supreme Court order
On March 18, the Supreme Court gave six months for demolition of the park and an adjoining food court while hearing concerns regarding construction in the wetland and green belt surrounding Anasagar Lake in Ajmer.
2 min readJaipurUpdated: Sep 12, 2025 05:55 PM IST
Acting on Supreme Court’s March directions, the Ajmer Development Authority (ADA) started tearing down the popular spot ahead of the September 17 deadline in the district administration’s affidavit. (Source: Express Photo)
Demolition of Ajmer’s Seven Wonders Park began Friday – six months after the Supreme Court ordered its demolition saying it encroached upon Jaipur’s wetlands.
Acting on Supreme Court’s March directions, the Ajmer Development Authority (ADA) started tearing down the popular spot ahead of the September 17 deadline in the district administration’s affidavit.
This comes after the Supreme Court, on March 18, gave six months for its demolition while hearing concerns regarding construction in the wetland and green belt surrounding Anasagar Lake in Ajmer. The court also ordered the administration to take down the food court at Luv-Kush Garden in Vaishali Nagar by April 7, 2025.
However, despite the court’s directions, one statue was moved, with officials claiming that only one company had put forth their bid when tenders were floated.
Built under the Ajmer Smart City Project at a cost of around Rs 12 crore, the Seven Wonders Park was inaugurated in 2022 by then Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.
In March 2023, former BJP councillor Ashok Malik filed a writ petition before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) highlighting destruction of wetlands around Anasagar lake. On August 11 that year, the National Green Tribunal ordered the park to be demolished, along with Patel Stadium, Gandhi Smriti Udyan, and the food court, observing that these constructions were built by encroaching upon the wetlands.
This order was appealed in the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, as the legal battles continued, Ashok Malik, the petitioner, and his son were arrested on November 6, 2023 and were eventually released on bail.
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In March 2025, the Supreme Court, which had refused to stay the demolition only three months before, reiterated that the park and the food court should be demolished and the wetlands should be restored in Ajmer. The bench said: “Your modus operandi does not seem to indicate that you want to make Ajmer smart. We wonder how a city can become smart without protecting water bodies and wetlands, and how can cities become smart by encroaching upon them”.
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
