In November 2018, Greater Chennai Corporation “planted” a park at AGS Colony in Velachery West. Since then, residents have been “growing” it. It is easy to quantity this growth: Saplings that residents have brought and planted at the park.
“While many residents have been increasing the greenery at the park through voluntary tree plantation, there are some who have come forward and donated money to the AGS Colony Residents Welfare Association for the park’s upkeep. For instance, a forum called AGS Colony Sai Samithi has given ₹15,000 towards this. A resident of 8th Cross Street, S. Gunasekaran, has spent nearly ₹20,000 towards fencing the plants as cattle have been feeding on them, lowering their heads from over a grilled compound wall. In addition, he cleans the park for 15 minutes along with the gardener. Children help out in the cleaning exercise,” says Geetha Ganesh, the Association secretary.
The Association has requested the Corporation to fence the lawn to prevent people from walking on it.
“Some visitors walk onto the lawn to have photo shoots; to prevent it, we have erected bamboo poles. It’s only half effective in checking this problem. Similarly, some visitors bring food items and eat them inside the park. We keep advising the visitors against such a practice, but some don’t take it in the right sense,” says Geetha Ganesh.
The Association maintains where quotes by Thiruvalluvar, Swami Vivekananda, Aristotle and a few other great thinkers are written. Besides, the Association has requested the Corporation to name the park as “Republic Day Park”.
“Before the park was developed and opened to the public, we were celebrating Republic Day on this OSR land, and that is the reason we want the facility to be named ‘Republic Day Park’,” says Geetha Ganesh.
