For many months now, a park maintained by Chennai Corporation on Langs Garden Road in Egmore is in a bad shape. It is overrun with thick vegetation. Its pathway is broken and its steel fence, damaged.
The park is tucked between the Coovam river and the Langs Garden Road and is the only park in the neighbourhood.
It was built a few years ago by the civic body to strengthen the bund of the water body and also to utilise the vacant space between the river and the stretch as a public utility.
Initially, the Corporation was reluctant in turning the stretch into a park. They argued that as Langs Garden Road was a crucial link for two-wheeler mechanics from Pudupet, building a park might not serve the purpose. Later, the decision to establish a park was taken as various organisations staged frequent protests near the Mayor Sundar Rao Naidu junction, a key entry point to the new Commissioner of Police office on PH Road.
“The neighbourhood did not have any park nearby for residents. Saplings at the park would also strengthen the bund of the river,” said a Corporation official.
However, due to poor maintenance, the facilities is now covered with bushes and the play equipment have become rusty. The Corporation did not maintain the park, say residents. “The park is the only green space in the neighbourhood where I can bring my son to play. The slides, swings are all broken and need repairs,” said K. Seenu, a resident of Egmore, who visits the park often.
The walkway is broken at many places. Of late, passers-by have turned the park into an open toilet.
At night, drunkards and miscreants enter the park and create nuisance. Children avoid walking on the pavement in front of the park fearing snakes. Repeated complaints to Corporation officials and councillors have not yielded results.
“Soon, a team of civic officials will inspect the park and give it a facelift,” said a Corporation official.
