Perungalathur Park Remains Closed for Over Eight Months After Renovation

A park on Kamaraj Highway in Perungalathur, which was renovated at a cost of more than Rs 10 lakh, has remained closed to the public for over eight months.

The park is located in the 55th ward of Zone 4 of Tambaram Corporation along Kamaraj Highway. Residents of Kamaraj Highway, Chitra Avenue, Bharathi Avenue, Muthiralandi Street, Sathyamoorthy Road and nearby residential areas, along with residents of the 59th ward of Perungalathur, have been using the park.

Over the years, however, the park was poorly maintained. The existing play and exercise equipment was damaged, making it difficult for residents to use the facility.

Following repeated requests from the Perungalathur-Peerkankaranai Residents Welfare Association, Tambaram Corporation undertook renovation work. The park was renovated at a cost of more than Rs 10 lakh, and new play and exercise equipment were installed. A compound wall was also constructed around the park.

Despite the renovation, the park has remained locked and has not been opened for public use for more than eight months.

Residents said that when the Assembly election was announced, the Corporation cited the Model Code of Conduct as the reason for not opening the park. However, even around five months after the election, the park continues to remain closed.

As a result, trees and bushes have grown extensively inside the park, leaving the area overgrown and unmaintained. Residents said the money spent on the renovation would serve little purpose if the facility was not properly maintained and opened for public use.

They also expressed concern that snakes and poisonous insects could be hiding in the overgrown bushes, potentially posing a risk to residents in the surrounding areas and pedestrians using Kamaraj Highway.

Mahendra Boopathy, president of the Perungalathur-Peerkankaranai Residents Welfare Association, said the association had repeatedly brought the issue to the attention of Tambaram Corporation officials.

He said the park was renovated following their requests, with new play and exercise equipment installed and a compound wall constructed. However, the Corporation has kept the renovated park locked for several months without opening it to the public.

The residents` association has now decided to launch a peaceful protest demanding that the park be opened and encroachments near the park be removed.

Meanwhile, Tambaram Corporation zonal officials said there was no specific order preventing the park from being opened. They stated that some maintenance work was still pending and that the park would be opened once the remaining work was completed.