A playground influencing the flow of votes in an election may not happen anywhere in the country other than the coastal region of Kozhikode which has quite a football crazy population. The playground is a dream of the people of Kappakkal, Payyanakkal and Chakkumkadavu wards of the Kozhikode Corporation that come under Revenue Division 21. It has been 30 years since the idea was put forth by the people here and the Corporation’s promise of its realisation.
Effort to acquire land
“There have been many attempts to initiate the acquiring of 1 acre 65 cents of land in Kappakkal ward. But the Town Planning Committee often refused to take it up citing some problems”, said sitting councillor of Kappakkal P.V.Avaran. Payyanakkal Councillor C.P.Musafir Ahamed had repeatedly brought the issue to the notice of the Corporation council with the support of Mr.Avaran.
Though the council favoured the proposal, it never went to the acquisition stage. Mr.Avaran said that the playground, if materialised, will also benefit the students of the nearby school.
The sudden fencing of the property has however raised many eyebrows in the region, he added.
K. Njama, CPI (M) candidate for Payyanakkal ward said that the playground is always a hot topic and a long pending issue.
Other than the playground, waste management is one of the major problems faced by the region, like the rest of the Corporation. Ms.Najma said that while campaigning, people have raised the demand for a health centre and cleaning of the BK Canal to ensure free flow of drainage water to the sea.
Roads, that was a major problem in the region during the last local body polls are however, not a problem now, since the opening of the Kothi bridge connecting the region to the rest of the city.
