The Pallavapuram Municipality has been identifying Open Space Reservation (OSR) land in areas coming under its jurisdiction, for converting them into recreational facilities. Recently, an OSR land in Keezhkattalai was converted into a park — it has been named Kasi Visalakshipuram park. The parks are being developed under Atal Mission For Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
Development of the park was carried out as part of an AMRUT package for the year 2016-17 for the locality, executed by the Municipality at a cost of rupees 2.64 crore. Areas in the package include Periyar Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar, Nethaji Nagar, Saraswathy Colony, Chromepet, and Pallavaram.
The interior and exterior walls of the park at Kasi Visalakshipuram have been painted with images of wild animals, birds and sporting activities. “Besides play equipment, walkers’ benches and Light Emitting Dioxide (LED) lamps, a fountain and an open gym have been created. The gym has shoulder rotation equipment, a sky walker and a hip twister. Other facilities include a yoga auditorium, a pebble pathway and a meshed walkway with a green canopy over it,” Municipality officials said. Rest rooms, a reverse osmosis drinking water plant and a room for security personnel have also been created at the park, which is open from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
It must be noted that earlier, under the first phase, parks at Chithra Nagar, A.G.S. Nagar and Subham Nagar, Pallavaram, were developed by the Municipality.