The Deccan Chronicle 30.08.2010
City spends on, neglects parksChennai, Aug. 29: While the city corporation continues to spend crores on developing new parks and renovating some old ones in Chennai, a park developed at a cost of Rs 20 lakh behind Spencer Plaza on Binny Road in the heart of the city is languishing due to neglect.
Once a paradise for walkers, particularly the elderly and children, the corporation park has now become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and a den for drinkers who party till late in the night hiding behind the overgrown bushes. Weeds and damaged walkways have also turned the park unusable, said local resident Mr Chandramohan, adding that even entering the park has now become difficult since the entrance has been blocked by a mobile tea shop that has come up from nowhere.
The seesaw, swing and slide erected in the park for children have also become unusable as they have got rusted besides being covered by overgrown bushes. Flowering plants that once decorated the park are nowhere to be seen now, pointed out another resident, Ms Sowmiya.
Apart from being a place to hang out in the evenings for locals, the park used to be place where employees of commercial establishments in the surroundings would enjoy their lunch and relax briefly after work.
Failure of the corporation to employ staff for maintenance was the major reason for the park loosing sheen, complained area residents. They wonder how the park has so far not featured in the civic body’s list of the parks for getting a facelift.
