Many reserved sites remain unused

It has been more than a decade since KEN layout was established near Peelamedu. While 29 cents land has been reserved as open space to create a park, nothing has been done till date to make use of the land, which remains a picture of neglect with overgrown bushes.
According to activist SP Thiyagarajan, it isn’t an isolated case. “It isn’t the only site that remains unused. More than 80% of the reserved sites that the corporation has identified remains abandoned and unused, either due to encroachment or lack of maintenance. What is the point in just identifying and marking the sites, without commencing any work to make use of them?”
Pointing out that it was to provide a platform for residents to do some sort of recreational activities that open space was reserved per layout, he said the purpose wouldn’t be served if such sites remain unused.
“If the city corporation clears the bushes from these sites, people could at least use them for walking or playing with their children. Because of the official apathy, most affected are the children and elderly people, who are forced to spend a quality time indoors,” said V Mahendran, Alamu Nagar Residents’ Welfare Association. He had managed to remove encroachment from 50 cents of OSR land in their layout. “Despite developing the site into a park, it today looks like a dump yard due to lack of proper maintenance.”
As per the Tamil Nadu Town and Country Planning Act, all the layouts, apartments, shopping malls and institutions that occupy more than 65 cents have to set aside 10% of its land as OSR site.
The civic body has identified about 1,600 such reversed sites in the city limits, but only 200 of them have been developed into parks or playgrounds, Thiyagarajan said citing a reply obtained from the city corporation under the Right to Information Act. According to him, they are many more OSR sites to be identified.