It was fun all through the day for little children and the senior citizens alike. A mood of happiness and cheerfulness pervaded at Mukkombu with a large number of tourists and young couples thronging the picnic spot on the occasion of “Kaanum Pongal” on Saturday.
The flow of water from the Mettur and the recently developed park at Mukkombu made it a big draw among city residents and tourists all through the day.
There was a scramble among the children and their parents to have a ride on the toy train and the other amusement area. Cutting across age-groups, many persons were seen playing on the swing and the see-saw besides posing for a photo in front of the water fountain.
R.K. Muthumani (33), an employee of the National Institute of Ocean Technology, Velacherry, Chennai, said the flow of water in the Cauvery during this “Kaanum Pongal” was a major attraction for the visitors.
Endorsing this view, Jessia Evangelen, an under-graduate student of St. Joseph’s College, said she came to Mukkombu this morning and had decided to spend the whole day. “Last year, there was little water,” she said.
By and large, the visitors were delighted over the arrangements at the Mukkombu. But, they wanted strengthening of entertainment infrastructure. “The place has a potential for more amusement enclosures.
P. Kannan, Sub-Divisional Officer, River Conservation Division of Public Works Department, said that special teams had been constituted for providing adequate amenities. Warning boards had been set up at places prone to quicksand.
“Quicksand keeps shifting from one place to another and we have deployed employees at these places,” he said.
Close vigil was maintained to ensure safety of the visitors. A team of 45 police personnel was deployed at various places at the picnic spot.
