Gandhi Park at East Tambaram goes to seed in Chennai – Times of India

CHENNAI: Walkers and children have been left with few options to spend time outdoors as one of the biggest parks in East Tambaram is in bad shape and is not opened regularly.
Gandhi Park with a jogging track, children’s play area and a library at Sugamaga Rishi Street was well maintained and popular before the pandemic but now lies almost abandoned with no staff to manage it.
Tree branches that fell during the cyclone litter the walking track, seating area and other parts of the park. The playing slide and swings are broken, the steel railing is damaged, a water fountain with lights lie broken and dry. Tiles have started to come off the walking track. The plants have started to die because there is no watering. The gates are opened by a worker who comes at a different time every day but not in the early morning when people need it the most.
Residents have been demanding the Tambaram corporation to spruce up the park. “There is no sufficient lighting. Many of the lamps are broken. It makes the place unsafe for the children and the senior citizens who use the park in the late evening,” said R. Mohan, a resident. “All the play items are rusted and broken making it dangerous for the children. The park is not safe for children” said N Naveena, who brings her children to the park.
Amenities such as the library, a fountain and toilets are not properly maintained. The toilets cannot be used and they stink, she added.
Sashikala, councillor, Tambaram Corporation said, “We have assigned people for maintenance. We will improve the park gradually.” The corporation authorities had earlier given a contract to maintain the park but now have decided to do the work using their own workers.