Telangana to get over 19,000 playgrounds

Hyderabad: Sports and games, which had taken a backseat in schools and colleges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are slowly finding their way back into the lives of the youth, with the State government developing playgrounds in rural and urban areas. Keeping an eye on the mental well-being of the young, the government is promoting […]

Hyderabad: Sports and games, which had taken a backseat in schools and colleges due to the Covid-19 pandemic, are slowly finding their way back into the lives of the youth, with the State government developing playgrounds in rural and urban areas.

Keeping an eye on the mental well-being of the young, the government is promoting sports extensively among students for their overall development. Accordingly, 19,472 playgrounds are being developed in rural and urban areas.

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This initiative is being taken up under Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s brainchild, Palle Pragathi. Already, 5,602 playgrounds have been developed and works on 7,787 are underway.

Among the targeted 19,472 playgrounds to be developed, sites have been identified for 13,418. Of these, 10,451 are being developed in gram panchayat limits. The objective is to promote sports as a career and for youth to represent Telangana at different State and national-level competitions.

Students and youngsters are making best use of the facilities and playing Kho-Kho, Kabbadi, volleyball and long jump, officials said, adding that exercise equipment were also being installed in the playgrounds.

The government aims at developing one playground in every habitat in rural areas. Similarly, in urban areas, one playground is being developed in every division in cities and one each in every ward in towns. Measures are also being taken to ensure the grounds in rural areas are spread over an acre.