Repeated pleas by visitors of Mangal Eri Park to the local Tangedco to shift the high tension (HT) transformer located inside the Mangal Eri Park has fallen on deaf ears.
Every day, many residents of West Mogappair, Reddipalayam nagar, East Mogappair, J.J Nagar and Collector Nagar pay a visit to the park with their family members.
As most of the residents in these areas are senior citizens, especially retired government staff, they visit the park in the morning for a walk and in the evening for a quiet hour with their grandchildren.
As the park is located around Mangal Eri which is surrounded by dense greenery, it has a soothing effect on visitors.
“The location of the electric transformer puts visitors at risk. Buses around the concrete seats are also a source of risk,” says S. Venukumar, a resident of Mogappair.
Located between the congested Ambattur Estate Road and West Mogappair Road, the park-cum-lake is spread over 5.32 acres and serves as a source of for groundwater recharging in the region for decades.
Following repeated demands by residents, the lake was renovated for the first time in 2009 at a cost of Rs. 60 lakh by then Ambattur Municipality after removing encroachments from the lake bed.
As part of the renovation, a compound wall was built around the lake. A tiled walkers’ track, 4.5 metres wide and 520 metres long, was also built around the lake for local residents. The lake-cum-park was also better illuminated. Release of sewage into the lake was also stopped by the civic officials. A children’s play area, de-silting, deepening and strengthening of the bund of the lake are some of the remaining works that have to be carried out by local body. However, after the merger of Ambattur Municipality with the Greater Chennai Corporation, these facilities remain only on paper.
Apart from urging the local body to replace the broken tiles with new ones on the walkers’ pathway, clear the bushes on both sides of the walkers’ pathway, residents have been requesting the local Tangedco officials to relocate the HT transformer outside the park or at least erect an enclosure around it up to a level with reflectors. Residents say they have seen sparks come from the transformer.
“Lack of space outside the park on Vellar Street is the reason for the delay in relocation of the transformer. However, steps will be taken to ensure the safety of the visitors,” says a Tangedco official.
