The Greater Chennai Corporation has asked zonal officers to send proposals for development of Open Space Reservation (OSR) lands after checking if they have any encroachments.
Minister for Municipal Administration K.N. Nehru had announced the creation of 150 parks at an outlay of ₹50 crore under the Singara Chennai 2.0 project. In addition, 50 playgrounds will be created in OSR lands at a cost of ₹50 crore. “This way, 200 OSR lands, which are either virgin or had been developed with rudimentary park or playfields, can be developed into full-fledged parks and playfields,” an official said.
“In a park, the broad concept is to make a low cost fencing using a grills and intermittent pillars, put up a walkway for the residents to walk along the perimeter using interlocking tiles, putting up benches, planting trees, setting up lights and urinals and borewell for water.” he said.
“For the playfields, the plan is to fence the entire area to prevent it from being encroached. A walkway on the periphery of a play field can be developed. The playfields will be based of the local flavour, which can be football or volleyball or basketball or any game popular in the community,” the official added.
Proposals were sent from the zones at the rate of about 10 parks per zone and four playfields per zone, and they were being scrutinised. Then, the proposals would be sent to the government for sanction of funds shortly, he added.
