No green spaces: Tiruvottiyur cries for attention

CHENNAI: Parks in the Tiruvottiyur zone of the Chennai Corporation are almost always bustling. While one may think that the population here has a particular affinity with open recreational spaces, the truth is that the zone, with a population of around 3.22 lakh, has merely five parks, that is, one for over 64,000 people.

Corporation data reveal that Tiruvottiyur and Manali are the only zones which have not received any funding for renovation of parks in the last five years (2013-2018). Both zones belong to the Corporation’s North Chennai region and are extended areas. R Ravi, a regular visitor to the Shanmuganagar park in Tiruvottiyur, said, “The park is very poorly lit. This leaves families no option but to leave as soon as it turns dark.”

Three of the five parks in Tiruvottiyur that Express visited on a weekday evening were bustling with activity. Residents said it was always the case. The lack of a recreational space aside, parks are an important part of the civic body’s disaster relief plan. They serve as the buffer zone where victims of natural disasters assembled before being directed to relief centres in which case, residents of this zone would be pressed for space.

Out of its total population, around 23,000 in this zone belong to one of the three Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board tenements. In comparison, the population-to-park ratio in other zones is better. For instance, in Kodambakkam, there are 43 parks for a population of 6.71 lakhs, that is, one park for around 15,600 people. In the last five years, the Corporation has spent 3.88 crore for the renovation of parks in this zone. Even extended areas such as Alandur, for a population of only 2.65 lakh, there are 48 parks with the Corporation spending 4.87 crore in the last five years.

As far as Manali is concerned, there is a plenty of scope for renovation and development of parks and open spaces, said residents. There are 16 main parks in Manali. R S Babu, secretary, Mathur MMDA Welfare Association, said, “Apart from the main parks, there are around 20 small open areas in Mathur MMDA maintained by the Corporation. These spaces are now used by residents to burn firewood and make small vegetable gardens for their own use among other things.”

When Express visited one of these B-type parks (429 square feet) in Mathur MMDA, vehicles were seen parked in most of the area other than that occupied by two swing sets and a seesaw.