For many years now, a large pond at the centre of the spacious Dr. Visveswaraya Tower Park in Anna Nagar has remained a cess pool and a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Every day, over 5,000 walkers, mainly residents from the neighbourhood and from areas like Choolaimedu, Kilpauk, Arumbakkam, Koyambedu and Tirumangalam, visit the park. As the park has a variety of trees and plants and also neatly laid walkers’ path and play equipment for children, visitors especially children throng the facility, especially during weekends. “Unlike the other parks in the city, the Tower Park has a huge pond. But, the poor maintenance of the pond, which included lack of de-silting work, allows mosquitoes to breed,” said K. Sivakumar, a resident of Tirumangalam.
Not just the Corporation, which is in charge of maintaining the park, visitors should be blamed for the condition in which the pond is found today.
At present, the pond is filled with garbage and has remained unclean for months. Used plastic bottles, eatables, overgrown shurbs and dead branches of trees can be seen floating in the pond. Interestingly, the office of the supervisor of the park is located in front of the pond.
Last year, after repeated complaints from residents and visitors, MLA S. Gokula Indira inspected the park and asked the Corporation to prepare an estimate for de-silting the pond and the Metro Water to check if sewage was being let into the pond. She also instructed the officials to plant more flowering plants. At the end of her inspection, she told residents that steps would be taken to repair the fountains, damaged walker’s path and that a clock would also be put up. But work on the pond is yet to start. . “Efforts will be taken to de-silt the pond and give it a facelift soon,” said a Corporation official.
