Parks with walkers’ path will soon across the city
A Coimbatore Corporation official explains to Mayor R. Venkatachalam (fourth right) the construction of a park at HUDCO Colony in Peelemedu in the city. Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran (right) and Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, (third right) are in the picture. Parks with walkers’ path will come up on reserved sites marked for this purpose across the city, Mayor R. Venkatachalam said on Friday. Promoters of layouts could establish the parks themselves within six months of their formation or the Corporation would take these areas up and create the green spaces. The promoters would, however, have to hand over these areas to the local body even after establishing the parks, he said. After inspecting a park coming up at HUDCO Colony in Peelamedu at Rs. 50 lakh, the Mayor said a court order that reserved sites should be used for the originally intended purpose had come in handy for local bodies to create public utility facilities. Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran and civic body official were part of the inspection team.The upcoming 2.5-acre facility at this colony would have fountains, adequate illumination, a children’s play area and greenery that made up for the usual parks. The added features would be a walkers’ path because the city offered lesser exercise space by the day for senior citizens and other fitness conscious people. A small tiled roof structure would serve as a meeting space for these people. “The park will offer space free of cost for walking while people have to pay a fee for using expansive premises of private organisations,” the Mayor said. The people of HUDCO Colony and Anna Nagar could use it.
While the Corporation would carry out structural maintenance and garbage removal in the park, it expected the residents to form an association to keep a watch over it. They could appoint watchmen to prevent anti-social elements from abusing the park. The watchmen could be useful in operating the lights also. Ramalingam Nagar near Saibaba Colony would also have a park on 62 cents. A wall would be built at Rs. 15 lakh and funds for parks could be got from the next year’s budget. The Mayor said another park would be built on 1.6 acres at Ward 1 (also Peelamedu). He said there was good news for the people of Ramnagar: the reserved site at Sowdambiga Layout would be made into a park and a walkers’ path also would be provided once the construction of toilets (outside the site) for the colonies nearby was over. At present, the site was used as a toilet by these people.
For establishing more such parks with walkers’ path in the city, the Corporation would request the Government for sanction of funds with the Local Planning Authority.Anna Nagar, south of HUDCO Colony, would get a bridge that would link it to the colony. The Mayor said that at present the two areas were separated by the Sanganur Canal. Students in Anna Nagar had to go further south towards Tiruchi Road and then take roads that led back to Avanashi Road to reach their schools or colleges. To be built at a cost of Rs. 25 lakh, the bridge would end this decades-long problem.The Corporation also identified 20 cents at HUDCO Colony to build an overhead tank to store drinking water that would be supplied under the proposed Pilloor Phase II scheme. The Mayor said the proposed tank would be part of the many that were to be built to help make a 24-hour supply under the Rs.113-crore scheme.
