A Corporation playground in Purasaiwalkam has an unlikely encroacher — the police. Vehicles seized by law enforcers are being dumped on the ground. The ground situated on Barakha Road, A.K. Swamy Nagar, Purasaiwalkam, falls under ward 74 of the Greater Chennai Corporation and is right opposite the Secretariat Colony police station.
According to Corporation officials, it was given as a gift deed to the civic body by the Secretariat Colony Society more than a decade ago.
The playground does not serve its intended purpose now with the police dumping seized vehicles, including those in which murders had taken place.
“The playground is in a good location, but for the past few years, residents have not been able to use it as the police are using it. Sometimes, the police also park their vehicles inside,” complained B. Devi, a former CPI(M) councillor.
A woman resident from Barakha Road complained that the children in the locality had not been able to use the facility due to the cars.
“They are frightened to play in the little space that is available as there are cars that had been used for murder. They feel there will be ghosts lurking in the playground,” said the woman.
C. Shanmugam, a businessman from Nammalwarpet, who goes for walks near the playground, said that nearly two years ago, people used to exercise at the ground.
“There is a room for keeping the dumbbells. But after the police started dumping the vehicles, no one comes here. Most of them go to parks in neighbouring localities. They can at least turn it into an exclusive park for children and senior citizens,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Corporation official said that they had written to senior police officers, asking them to vacate the park, but they have not done so till date. “We have plans to improve the park. But, it can be done only after the vehicles are removed,” he said. A police officer attached to the Secretariat Colony police station said that they had to use the ground as there was no space to keep the seized vehicles.
