CHENNAI: A public park run by the Greater Chennai Corporation in Rutland Gate 2nd Street in Thousand Lights has remained closed to the public for over four years. The reason - ‘safety concerns’ raised by high-profile residents in the area.
In February 2021, the park, spread on 1,235.65 sq m and constructed at a cost of Rs 53 lakh, was inaugurated. However, the residents allege that the park was open only for around two weeks, after which it was shut down. A visit by TNIE found that the park was well maintained but closed in the evening on a weekday.
Although the staff engaged by the corporation told this scribe it was ‘not open for the public’, they allowed entry on showing our ID card. The street, located near the Khader Nawaz Khan Road, is home to celebrities including an actor and is mostly restricted for the public, local residents said. A staff member said that the park was closed since the ‘influential’ residents in the area said that letting the public inside was a risk to their safety.
“When the park was inaugurated, children from my street would go and play, but later, they were not allowed and were told that they were creating problems for the children of residents there,” said Priya*, who lives near Model School Road. “They are all kids, no matter their background. Just because we are not as rich as them, are we being denied entry into a public park,” asked Priya.
Malathi*, another resident, also confirmed that she has never seen the park open. “Only people in the flats adjacent to the park are allowed to go for a walk there. No outside vehicles or people are allowed into the street,” she said. TNIE also saw vehicles being stopped and questioned by security guards about the purpose of their visit at the entrance of the street .
Although residents have made multiple requests to the GCC to open the park, they were told it will be looked into by officials. However, GCC councillor for ward 111 denied the allegations and said that the park is open to the public.
A corporation official from the Teynampet zone said that such an issue has been brought to his notice by the residents and he has inquired into it, adding that there has never been any restriction on the public. “The latches are put there for safety purposes as there are snakes in the area. I went there and inspected but there has not been any instance of access being denied to the public,” he said.