But what about fit Delhi?

Imagine a day when you finally make up your mind to work on your body and want to hit the gym but upon reaching you realise that the gym is closed. Disappointing, right? But this scenario might not be too far from reality as the Supreme Court recently ordered monitoring committees to seal down all fitness centres (including yoga, gym and medication centres) which were established after August 12, 2008. The reason for this bizarre order? These buildings fell under the ‘other’ category of land-use under the Delhi master plan 2021.  

Sunny, a Delhi-based gym trainer thinks that it isn’t a great idea as most of the people these days are gym enthusiasts and closing these centres might frustrate people. He says, “I have been a trainer for the last five years now and I have seen many people facing anxiety issues if they don’t work out on a daily basis. People these days love going to the gym. So this decision will affect a lot of fitness freaks.”

Shirshendu Bhattacharya, a Delhi-based college student and,fitness enthusiast, feels that it is really disappointing that so many fitness centres might be closed. “For people like me, the gym is a place where we can go to bust all the stress, which we accumulate throughout the day. It's a happy place for all of us, especially millennials,” he shares. He further points out that in this ever-rushing world, such fitness centres are the places where one takes care of themselves. As a citizen, he feels that this is almost equal to being denied their right to lead a good life.

Another Delhiite points out the irony of this move in the time of Fit India Movement. “Gym or any such fitness centre has helped and motivated many people to reduce weight, gain muscles or just to keep people fit and active. It motivates someone even more if these fitness centres are near one’s home. The closing off of them makes no sense, as this move will affect the livelihood of a lot of people,” feels Kunal who has been working out from past eight years now. “The decision which Supreme Court is making does not seem okay as many people like to keep themselves fit and if most of the gyms are closed, where will people go?” he wonders.