Ranchi: Spaces that should be filled with children’s laughter and morning walkers are turning into neglected corners marked by broken swings, rusted open gym equipment, damaged walking tracks, and poorly maintained washrooms in many parts of the city, residents said.Several parks under the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) are in visible decline, raising concerns over the shrinking quality of recreational spaces for public in the city.While RMC manages around 19 parks across the city, residents said the problem is not just maintenance but also uneven distribution of the facilities. Several parks are concentrated in Morabadi and nearby areas, while many residential colonies still lack even a basic children’s park or open green space.Locals visiting Children’s Park in Morabadi said that many rides, especially swings, have become slippery and unsafe for children. The boating area, once a major attraction, now is filled with stagnant and dirty water, while walking paths remain littered with fallen leaves and poorly maintained surroundings.“The swings are slippery and unsafe. The lake is filled stagnant, dirty water, and even the walking path was not clean. The washrooms are unhygienic,” said Amrit Tyagi, a visitor.Zakir Hussain Park, too, reflects neglect. Residents pointed to overgrown weeds, poorly watered plants, damaged seating arrangements and an abandoned toy train structure lying unused for years.Municipal commissioner Sushant Gaurav said, “Maintenance of public parks is a continuous process and the civic body keeps working on regular improvements. We always try to upgrade or modify parks whether it is by ensuring clean water, painting, cutting grass or maintaining trees, either with the help of other agencies or doing it ourselves.”In Morabadi, several parks exist within a short radius, while many colonies in areas like Hatia and Hindpiri still lack basic green spaces. “The parks should ideally be beyond a 1-km radius of each other. Otherwise, demand gets divided and some parks are forgotten,” said Binod Kachchap, a resident.