Thanks to illegal parking on both sides, link roads at both entrances of the the Anna Nagar Tower Park, are inaccessible for years now.
There is a designated space outside the park for motorists to leave their vehicles, but that doesn’t seem to be enough.
Every day, hundreds of visitors including senior bureaucrats, politicians, retired government servants and businessmen visit the park. People come here from areas like Vadapalani, Padi, Ambattur, Mogappair, Choolaimedu, NSK Nagar and Koyambedu. The number of visitors goes up to 20,000 persons during weekends and holidays, making it one of the most visited public parks in the city.
Facilities like an open-air auditorium, pond, meditation court, skating rink, floating fountain, children’s play area, lawns and walkways, attract a large number of people.
However, this well-known landmark lacks sufficient parking facilities.
Encroachment due to illegal parking forces motorists to take detours to reach Mogappair, Thirumangalam, Nolambur and even Poonamallee High (PH) Road.
Further, the crowd makes the link roads congested, making it inconvenient for residents around the park to step outside their houses.
“During rush hour, in the morning and evening, entry into the stretches around the park is difficult. Senior citizens who live in residential quarters around the park find it difficult to use the streets as the footpath is used for parking,” says S.Vasantha, a resident of Anna Nagar.
Corporation officials say that a few years ago, a plan was devised for setting up parking facilities inside the premises but it was put aside after objections were raised for felling trees inside the facility to allot space for the new parking arrangement.
“Steps would be taken to revive the project soon. Civic officials along with the police are now regulating traffic around the park to ensure a smooth flow of traffic,” says a Corporation official.
