Nearly two years after work began on carrying out major improvement works in Muthurangam Park in West Tambaram, among the biggest and once upon a time, the finest piece of open space for residents, the park presents a fine, green picture.
Located alongside Shanmugham Road, the most important commercial nerve centre of Tambaram, the Muthurangam Park is among the most important landmarks of the area.
The Muthurangam Park was nearly 6 decades old and continued to be in a well maintained state till the beginning of the 1980’s.
Miscreants
Gradually it began to slip into decay. In the absence of car parking lots, private vehicles began to conveniently use them and throughout the day and in the evening hours, miscreants used to roam around the park freely, causing nuisance to the visitors.
It was in January 2011 that civil works on carrying out improvement works at the park began. Tambaram Municipal officials said that close to Rs. 50 lakh was earmarked for the improvement works. The works that has completed so far includes landscaping, walkers’ pathway (nearly 600 m) and lighting.
Residents who frequented the park are of the view that though it took a long time for the works to be completed, it was done much to the satisfaction of all.
Attractions
The latest attractions include paintings on walls on all sides of the park. The thematic paintings, that are so life-like, include facets of art, culture, heritage of Tamil Nadu apart from the various traditional vocations of Tamil people.
Besides, tourist spots and places of religious importance also find their place in the paintings.
Municipal officials said that this way, not only would visitors find it a delight to visit the park, but the latest works of art would also deter miscreants from defacing the walls. Visitors to the park are visibly impressed and they wish that some more work of removing the weeds and cleaning, that is presently an eyesore, would also be completed soon. They also hope that the municipality would be in a position to maintain well the newly created amenities.
Prior to this, the Gandhi Park in East Tambaram and Tiruppur Kumaran Park in Selaiyur were spruced up.
Open spaces identified
Officials said that the Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply had identified several open spaces in the municipalities and their details were available on the websites of the respective municipalities.
In contentious spots where land sharks and private builders staked claim of public property, the municipality would thwart such attempts by placing information boards that the piece of land belonged to the local body and that any attempt to encroach the same would be dealt with severely.
