Chennai Corporation officials have rejected the demand of local youths for a modern playground in Otteri as a large parcel of land in their neighbourhood has been utilised for the dumping of waste and collection of plastic waste for transportation for the cement industry.
Thiru Vi Ka Nagar MLA Thayakam Kavi has agreed to fund the project in ward 75. However, local officials of GCC who inspected the site last week rejected the demand of the youths, owing to the presence of a private trade that collects plastic waste in the area for the cement industry.
Madan Kumar, a local resident, said more than 10,000 youths from 8,000 families are expected to benefit from the project to develop a sports facility. “One trader has made a gain of ₹5 lakh in a short period by selling plastic waste from the area. If the two acre area is converted into a modern sports facility, hundreds of youths will become successful sports persons. They will get jobs because of their achievement in sports. The issue of drug abuse may be resolved,” said Mr.Kumar.
N. Prathap, a resident, said he was unable to pursue badminton after school because of a lack of playground facilities for training in the area. “I have been captain at school and district runner-up. But I have not been able to pursue badminton and emerge successful because we did not have a playground. Poor students in the area need a modern playground,” he said.
Rishan, a 23-year-old resident, said he had 50 certificates for achievement in football but ended up as a salesperson in a textile showroom because of the lack of a playground in his locality. My classmate who is a resident of Kannigapuram has landed a government job after he pursued football coaching in the playground in his own locality.
Manoj, who is a college student, said a modern playground will support his dream of becoming a cricketer. After Youth Affairs and Sports Development, Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin laid the foundation stone for the modern sports complex on 3.735-acre land with facilities for cricket coaching, basketball, volleyball, kabaddi, silambam, boxing, and badminton in R.K.Nagar in north Chennai last week, the youth have started demanding a modern playground in Otteri also.
