It has been over nine years since Loyola College closed its doors to morning walkers, but still many in the neighbourhood wish they could again walk down the green tracks early in the morning. The college provided a huge lung space for hundreds of health-conscious people coming from areas like Nungambakkam, Choolaimedu and Mahalingapuram.
Avid walkers such as A.S. George hope the college will consider their plea to allow people to take a stroll inside the campus once again. A regular walker back then, he says, “We all went there for the greenery. The memories of walking around, spotting different species of birds and plants, are still vivid in my mind. The place provided such a peace of mind. Those coming for walks had to write their names on registers and were given a visitors’ pass. Never did I consider it an exercise; it was an enjoyable time spent with friends.”
He says things changed, especially after the engineering college was started. “One fine day they said we could not walk inside the campus. Security was given as the main reason,” adds this former councillor of Trust Puram.
Following this, people started using various other facilities including the tennis stadium at Nungambakkam, Haddows Park and Pachaiyappa’s College. “The SDAT-run tennis court allows morning walkers, but there is no comparison to Loyola College. If you walked around the campus you would have covered over 2.5. km, but the stadium is just 350 metres. Moreover, there is no greenery. We have been walking on concrete. The pleasure of walking is gone now,” says another walker.
D. Mohan also misses the experience of walking inside Loyola. He also shifted to the stadium. “The Tennis stadium is fine but nothing compared to the space and environment inside Loyola. Despite requests from walkers, the college officials refused to change their decision. If they are ready to reconsider it now, we would definitely go back there. Another problem is that the stadium is closed to walkers during international matches. We won’t be able to walk from January 5 to 15 due to the matches.”
George adds that he and his friends would also be ready to go back to Loyola if they allowed walkers again. “They can bring in any amount of restrictions such as fixing timings, being disallowed to enter a particular area and issuing cards. Any kind of screening is fine.”
Such a decision can also help make nearby parks such as Gill Nagar Park in Choolaimedu less crowded. “It is situated in the middle of a busy residential area. At all times, the park is over-crowed. And there is no scope for its expansion as well due to lack of space. With the provision of a children’s play area, yoga platform and walking track, the park attracts a lot of people. If Loyola allows walkers again, maybe some people would chose to travel there to walk comfortably,” says Kasturirangan, resident of Choolaimedu.
