The Eco Park, which was set up in 1999 and expanded in 2003, is supposed to have been futuristic. Planners believed that it would increase the city’s green cover while providing a healthy environment for children and adults alike. Lack of maintenance has marred its beauty.
Star attractions such as the boating facility are no longer available for public use. What was once supposed to simulate a lake-like experience now lies barren. A source in the Madurai Corporation told The Hindu that there was a seepage and it prevented people from using the boating facility.
“It is currently under repair. The problem was due to lack of regular maintenance. The proposed corrections will cost higher than our budget,” he said. The musical fountain, a delight for the visitors, is in disuse as well. Officials blame the drought for this. But visitors refuse to believe this.
R. Mohamed, a frequent visitor, said that the park could use recycled water once a week. “My family comes here regularly. The park was nice in the beginning. Now the standards have come down. The best attraction was the musical fountain and it is no longer there,” he said.
S. Rajamohan, Managing Director of Enviro Care, confirmed that only recycled water was used in tanks. He also said that there might be a 4.5-5 mm loss due to evaporation.
The park sees around 350 visitors a day. The number doubles on weekends. Visitors look for cleaner drinking water and toilet facilities. A corporation worker admitted that she had rarely seen the bathroom clean.
In a bid to keep the crowds engaged, the Corporation introduced 16 models made with scrap of automobile spare parts. It said that a small butterfly park under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme would be constructed inside the park.
Non-governmental organisations such as Enlight are ready to help with the park maintenance. M. Rajadarahini, founder of Enlight, said that the Corporation usually promoted several schemes and put forth many suggestions, but it hardly followed them up. “There is no sustainability as officials keep changing. The Corporation can let NGOs or corporate houses in the upkeep. Big business houses usually have funds earmarked for Corporate Social Responsibility activities. Service-oriented NGOs can take care of these parks with financial support,” she suggested.
According to data available with the Corporation, out of 130 public parks , 50 per cent need better upkeep. The Corporation may take stock of these public spaces and hand them over to companies by entering into a memorandum of understanding for annual maintenance.
The residents’ welfare organisations could also be entrusted with some tasks so that there would be community involvement, felt some of the residents who use parks for their morning walk.
The then Commissioner Gagandeep Singh Bedi personally brought flowers and ornamental plants for the park from Bengaluru, said a retired City Engineer.
