For several years now, residents of various merged areas in the city have been fighting to protect vacant lands meant for open space reservation facility from encroachments and convert them into spaces for public use.
Residents of Rayala Nagar, Ramapuram, complained that vacant space measuring about 20 grounds is facing a threat of encroachments. Though the space has been earmarked for public use, the civic body has not taken measures to protect the land from encroachments.
According to residents, Rayala Nagar in Ramapuram was developed during early 1970s for the employees of Rayala Corporation Private Limited. While it was allotted for about 230 employees then, the area has now developed with multi-storeyed buildings and has a population of nearly 16,000. The land allotted for OSR facility has been encroached.
P.V. Kishore, resident of Rayala Nagar and the then vice president of Rayala Corporation Union, said “We have been fighting for the cause for over two decades now. We want the Chennai Corporation to create a park and build a library and community hall in the vacant space.”
Similarly, residents of Madhanangkuppam too have been demanding that the six-acre space in Collector Nagar be developed into a park for over a decade now. S. Anbarasu, a resident said: “Several youngsters and children use the space as a a playground. Youngsters from neighbouring areas such as Perambur and Vyasarpadi too visit the area to play football and cricket.”
However, the vacant space continues to face the threat of encroachment despite repeated representations to the civic body. Sources in the civic body said that measures are being taken to protect such OSR lands in merged areas and being fenced wherever necessary.
