The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has revived a scheme aimed at addressing the severe shortage of gardeners in the capital's parks by allocating ₹13,500 per acre to Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) for hiring a 'mali' for park maintenance. This initiative, based on a Public-Private Partnership model, was reintroduced last week by the horticulture department. Previously, the scheme varied among the three municipal corporations, with the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) offering the highest amount of ₹13,500 per acre, which is now adopted by the MCD. The civic body will also provide free compost sourced from its green waste management centers to assist RWAs. Financial assistance will commence three months after registration, with cumulative payments for that period. A monitoring committee will oversee the work done by the RWAs, verifying maintenance through uploaded photographs. Currently, the MCD manages 15,320 parks across its 12 zones, covering nearly 5,200 acres, but faces significant staffing challenges with only 911 gardeners employed. Residents have expressed concerns over the deteriorating condition of parks, highlighting the inadequacy of the current gardener workforce.