The Hindu 22.07.2009
Erode Municipality park in poor shape
Staff Reporter
| The 40-year-old park has been in a state of neglect for over a decade now |
— PHOTO: M.GOVARTHAN 
Needs attention: Municipality park in Gobichettipalayam is in a state of neglect and has turned a haven for anti-social elements.
ERODE: Municipality park in Ward 9 in Gobichettipalayam is in a state of neglect. Trees with far-reaching canopy suggest the existence of a park.
Out-of-use fountain, dilapidated structures, broken slide and others confirm it, besides speaking volumes about the state of neglect. Unregulated growth of bushes and shrubs only add to the confirmation.
Gobichettipalayam residents say the 40-year-old park has been in a state of neglect for over a decade now. They charge the civic body with not only maintaining the park but also allowing assets to go waste.
The only activity that goes on in the park is water supply from the two-lakh-litre tank. Ward Councillor M. Prakash says the staff looking after water supply go there to regulate water flow, as the tank is the main supply source.
Other than the Municipality staff, the public do not throng the park for want of maintenance. Mr. Prakash says only a few children play for a while in the evenings. The state of neglect has led to the obvious: anti-social elements using the park to carry out their nefarious activities. The residents say during evenings, they are troubled by anti-social elements using the place to drink and make merry.
The Councillor acknowledges the residents’ complaint and says he has raised the issue at the Council and as a follow-up the civic body asked the police to maintain a vigil there.
About the park’s poor state, he says has raised the issue to no avail.
A senior office in the civic body says the Gobichettipalayam Municipality has not been able to repair structures and maintain the park for want of funds.
The civic body can renovate the park only with the government support, as the financial health is too poor to carry out such activities. He says the civic body is planning to write to the government seeking funds.
Chairperson M. Revathi Devi says the civic body can carry out the work only with funds from the General account, and as there are expenditure of importance using the General fund like salary payment, the Municipality is not in a position to upkeep the park.
She says that the Municipality plans to take up the work under the Namaku Naame scheme, where in members of the public have to contribute.