On the evening of the previous day, children had had a cricket match and a bunch of fitness enthusiasts a workout on the playground. Therefore, it was a bit surreal for residents to notice in the morning that the board describing the parcel of land as a Corporation playground had been pulled down and concrete slabs had been dumped inside.
This was four years ago. Now, a lone football goalpost, rusted and beyond redemption, is the only indication that the land was once a playground.
Over the years, this land on Nandanam Extension First Main Road has lost its character as a play space. Overgrown bushes and tin-roofed huts now occupy one end of this land.
Four years ago, the Corporation facility had been taken over by contractors employed by the State agency to lay storm water drains in the area. Besides using it as a shelter for the night, the workers have also dumped construction materials they had to use for the job.
While the work got completed over a year ago, the playground is still out of bounds for residents.
While the Corporation has taken no initiative to rebuild the playground, the contractors have conveniently overstayed their contract term. The gate has been removed. The compound wall has been broken down. “The ground was used not just by residents, but also by a few schools in the locality. Beyond the loss of the playground, what is annoying is that the land has become an eyesore. The labourers employed by the contractor have brought their families here and they use it as a living space. All waste is let out into a septic tank they have built inside the facility. The tank leaks most of the time. From a playground, the land has become a mosquito breeding ground now,” says Sumathi, a resident who has taking the issue with the Corporation and fighting for the lost playground for a long time now.
Not receiving any reply from them, she went on to file a writ petition in the Madras High Court seeking removal of the encroachments from the playground.
Sashi, a labourer, says they were brought here for doing road work across the city. On asking why the labourers are still here after the work on storm water drain has been completed, she says they will leave in a week’s time. Sumathi says it a constant assurance, one that is never honoured.
“The playground resembles an empty plot which people sometimes use to park their vehicles. All we want is for the Corporation to remove encroachments and restore the playground and give it back to residents,” says Ganapathy.
