Chennai: Bird-view decks, electric buggies for easy mobility, musical fountains and a host of water sports are among new amenities planned at Chetpet eco park as it gears up for a comprehensive makeover. The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) and the fisheries department have joined forces to breathe life into this urban water body, aiming to draw more visitors.
Inaugurated in Feb 2017, the eco-park was developed by converting the Chetpet lake and spans 16 acres. Of this, six acres are dedicated to boating, three acres to sport fishing, and the remaining seven acres house facilities such as multi-level car parking, a rock climbing zone, a children's play area, a virtual reality show zone and an amphitheatre.
Despite these amenities, the park currently registers footfalls of only 20,000 apart from 500 walkers each month. Urban planners said there's an urgent need to revitalise the space with additional attractions and enhanced facilities. On Wednesday, CMDA Minister P K Sekarbabu and fisheries minister Anitha R Radhakrishnan visited the eco park to assess improvement opportunities.
"The CMDA has allocated 15 crore to rejuvenate the eco-park. The premises already include an aquarium, angling zones, a walking track, and a children's play area. We aim to upgrade existing facilities and introduce new ones," said Sekarbabu.
A CMDA team prepared a detailed report on the proposed developments. "Renovation will begin from the entrance arch.
The musical fountain will be repaired and made operational, while the building facade will undergo improvements. We are also planning to include a movie screening space. Existing facilities such as the aquarium, amphitheatre, toilet blocks, and children's play area will be renovated too," said a CMDA official.
New features will include a bird-viewing deck, an upgraded musical fountain in the lake, additional water sports, wheelchairs for accessibility, and electric buggies for transportation. Evening live band performances are also planned. The park's restaurant, which was closed during the Covid-19 pandemic, will reopen this week. "With these enhancements, we aim to attract at least 10,000 more visitors every month," said an official of the fisheries department.
Frequent visitors and walkers have suggested further improvements too. "The walking path needs to be levelled. This is a great space, and its full potential is yet to be tapped," said Sramona Ray, a regular.