The Nehru Children’s Park near the railway station maintained by the Needamangalam Town Panchayat is in a state of neglect. This is the only recreation centre for the people of the town situated on the Tiruchi–Nagapattinam National Highway.
This park was well maintained till a few years ago and was a huge draw. Now all the play equipment had been damaged and steps had not been taken to renovate them for many years. The park is situated adjacent to the Needamangalam junction, one of the main railway stations on the Thanjavur–Karaikal section.
The people waiting at the Needamangalam junction used to spend their time in the park and there was a separate entrance from the junction.
The park had lovely green canopy provided by the trees. Now, the trees and plants at the park are withering without regular watering.
The statues of the Mahatma Gandhi in the middle of the park, Bharat Maata, and a decorated parrot, are in state of neglect. Ill-maintained shrubs and dry leaves make it look like haunted place. Roadside vendors have encroached the main entrance.
“Previously, many local people used to visit the park regularly. The senior citizens in good number used this park situated in the heart of the town for the morning and evening walk. Now, it has been neglected for long and is not being maintained properly. There seems to be no effort to improve its upkeep”, says N. Gurumoorthy, a resident of Needamangalam town.
The town panchayat should explore the option of involving private sponsors and the Railways in the maintenance of the park. A nominal entrance fee can be collected for the visitors and the same utilised for the upkeep of the park, he says.