The city’s first solar-powered park, A.R. Memorial Children’s Park, was inaugurated at K.K. Nagar by Mayor V.V. Rajan Chellappa, on Wednesday. The park also has 14 play facilities for children, a library and a yoga centre.
According to M. Seenivasan, Managing Director of A.R. Hospitals, which has taken up the responsibility of maintaining the park, a 5 KW solar power system will provide the energy required for the park. A one horsepower motor as well as the lights and computers in the library would function with the power generated by the solar panel. The park will set a precedent in the State and create public awareness of the easy functioning of solar power systems, he added.
Mr. Chellappa lauded the initiative launched by A.R. Hospital. “The Corporation is taking steps to keep Madurai clean. People should help the civic body in its efforts and make good use of public parks,” he said.
He pledged to make K.K. Nagar and Anna Nagar areas self sufficient in power generation.
Corporation Commissioner R. Nanthagopal said, “Every child visiting the park should be made to adopt a tree and taught to take care of it. Involving children in such activities will help them connect with nature.” He further said parks would be the ideal places for families to spend their evenings.
“Equipping the parks with solar power panels will help overcome the power crises to a considerable extent”.
The Mayor and Commissioner inaugurated a building to house Dr. Subramanium Memorial Library and Baba Institute of Yogic Science. Students of Silambam and Dragon Kungfu Federation of India performed martial arts at the function.
