The residents of various localities in Suramangalam area in the city have urged the Salem Corporation to take steps for setting up a children’s park in the vacant site, where a temporary fish market functioned till recently.
The market, which functioned on the Dharma Nagar first street for many years, was a major fish market in the western districts. The corporation decided to construct a modern fish market with all infrastructure facilities in the same area.
Hence, it shifted the fish market to an adjacent vacant site three years ago.
The spacious new fish market constructed at an outlay of Rs. one crore was declared open by the Chief Minister in December last year. The new fish market, accounting for 18 pucca shops, has all the needed facilities such as separate space for cutting, cleaning and packing the fish, cold storage, waste water treatment plant, hot water connection, proper drainage system and vehicle parking space.
The corporation later shifted the fish traders from the temporary site to the permanent market, a few months ago.
The residents of Suramangalam say that the corporation had earlier earmarked the vacant site for setting up a children’s park and had even installed the play equipment like see-saw, swing, merry go round, etc, much to the delight of the local people, particularly the children.
When the park was likely to be thrown open for public use, the corporation all of a sudden decided to shift the fish market to this venue to enable the construction of a new fish trading centre.
The corporation assured the residents that it was only a stop-gap arrangement and the fish traders will be shifted once the permanent spacious market was constructed. With the shifting of the fish market to a new venue, the local people urged the Corporation to take steps for reviving the children’s park. Suramangalam area, comprising many residential localities and educational institutions, has no park.
The site is most suited for the park and the corporation should construct a park with all facilities and a walking track with immediate effect, says M. Moorthy, a resident of nearby Ammapalayam.
In the absence of walking track in the vicinity, people have to take a stroll on the busy thoroughfares such as Junction main road, Suramangalam main road etc, where the vehicles move at a high speed during the morning hours. The walking track in the children’s park will immensely benefit the local people in a big way, he adds.
When contacted, the corporation authorities said that the city body will accord priority for setting up of a children’s park in the vacant site under the Atal Mission for the Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation scheme, which is expected to be implemented in the city soon.
