“There are no Corporation playgrounds on OMR...” Over the years, this has been the leitmotif of accounts by civic activists taking stock of the facilities on the arterial stretch. There is now a glimmer of hope that this negative line will never surface again.
The Parks Department of the Greater Chennai Corporation has set in motion the process of raising playgounds on two parcels of Open Space Reservation (OSR) land, both of them located in Semmencherry.
The spaces identified for the proposed playgrounds are located at Majestic Layout, near Division Office 200, and Naveen Building, which is found bang on OMR.
At the Majestic Layout, Corporation recently fixed a board on a 1.5-acre plot announcing that it’s an OSR land. Despite wild bushes found on the fringes of this plot, youngsters have turned it into a makeshift cricket ground.
“We have been playing here for the last one year. In fact, this place is overrun with cricket teams during the weekends and to be able to play, a team has to book a space, arriving early,” says V. Rakshit, a final-year engineering student of Sathyabama University.
According to a senior official of the Parks Department, the two playgrounds will be developed in six months.
“We are in the process of identifying many more OSR lands where playgrounds could be created,” said the official.
Many residents of the locality are excited about the project.
Satish Galley, a long-time resident of Semencherry, said Corporation officials recently visited the afore-mentioned sites and sought ideas from residents on how to make them model playgrounds.
“Distance does not matter for youngsters as long as there are facilities for engaging in sports and they come free of cost,” said Satish, a member of Semmancherry Residents Welfare Association.
Satish has suggested that the Majestic Layout playground be designed as a multi-purpose playground with provisions for playing football, cricket, badminton, volleyball and having cricket net practice.
There should be an adequate number of washrooms, a swimming pool and an open gym.
(Residents who are interested in seeing the playgrounds and contributing their ideas may write to sgally2000@yahoo.com or call 9884002030.)
