The Deccan Chronicle 20.08.2010
Kovai Semmozhi park plan stays pipedream
Aug. 19: Despite Rs 8 crore being allocated from the corporation’s 2008-2009 budget to develop 40 new parks called ‘Semmozhi Poonga’ in Coimbatore the green spaces are yet to be completed. The project was undertaken to enhance the city’s greenery and the parks were to open just ahead of the World Classical Tamil Meet. Two months after the meet concluded, most of the parks remain closed and work on some of them remain unfinished.
CPM councillor of Rathinapuri N.R. Murugesan alleged that work is very slow. “Lighting facilities are yet to be provided in the park and there is no play area for children either. It will take at least two months more for the work to finish,” he said.
The chairman of the Coimbatore corporation council’s standing committee on education, parks and playgrounds, R. Kalyanasundaram, confirmed that work is almost complete in 23 of the 40 proposed parks. “The other parks will also be finished soon,” he said. “The committee has put pressure on officials to open the parks as soon as possible.”
The chairman explained that work is progressing at a slow pace because some of the contractors are new and do not have experience constructing parks.
“The civic body should at least open the parks that are almost complete. All the money spent on developing the parks is going to be wasted if the parks are not opened,” said N. Muralidaran, a resident of Sivananda Colony.
The commissioner of the corporation, Mr Anshul Mishra, said that the civic body has proposed to open the parks in another ten days. He also refuted the charges that work in several parks was yet to be completed.
