‘Jurassic Park’ now remains out of bounds for visitors

It has been closed for over a year-and-half

The stone-age park inside VOC Park.

The stone-age zoological park inside the VOC Park remains out of bounds for visitors. It has been so for over a year and half, say Coimbatore Corporation sources. The civic body manages the park.

The zoological park, popularly named ‘Jurassic Park’ that is on the south-east corner of the VOC Park is locked. A stone tablet outside it says it was first built in July 1995 and inaugurated by the then MLA V.K. Lakshmanan in the presence of the then Commissioner S. Chandramouli.

Thereafter the Corporation renovated the place at ₹9.14 lakh in November 2011 but shortly thereafter it closed it to visitors. It had spent the money towards renovating the electrical equipment, including sound system.

The sources say that the civic body had to close it because it had become a den for love-lorn couples, who occupied the premises. Their presence dissuaded other visitors from having a free entry. The other reason was that the unrestricted entry and misuse by a few visitors had also led to damage of the lighting. And, the roof was not strong enough.

To prevent untoward incidents and make it public-friendly, the civic body was forced to close it, they add.

The Corporation not opening the stone-age park and keeping it out of bounds came to light from a Right to Information Act reply it had given to activist J. Daniel. He said that money appeared to be ill spent as it is closed.

He wanted the Corporation to throw open the facility at the earliest.

The sources say now that the Corporation had taken up the proposal to renovate the zoo by expanding it to areas that are part of the VOC Park, it will explore the possibility of either retaining it or providing a similar facility to the public in the neighbourhood.