KOCHI: The district administration has finally kept its word and resumed the toy train service for children at the the renewable energy park which had been lying in a neglected state for the past several years. District Collector Jafar Malik inaugurated the train service on Sunday in the presence of Ernakulam MLA TJ Vinod and other officials.
They also took train ride along with children. "Children will have a lot of fun going on the train ride. Once the whole park becomes operational, children will have more space to hang out," said Ranjith Thampi, an environmental activist.
The renewable energy park -- located near the the Indira Priyadarshini Children's Park -- had been closed since 2017 for maintenance. Ever since, it was in a pathetic condition with overgrown bushes and poor upkeep.
Later, city residents and environmentalists took up the issue with the district collector, as the District Child Welfare Committee is in charge of the park's maintenance. Meanwhile, the officials in charge of the park said renovation is in progress.
"We had removed all creepers and bushes a few months ago, but they all have grown again since the arrival of monsoon. The renewable energy park will be opened to the public soon. We need to procure a few items for maintenance works and that’s the only delay," said an official.
The authorities will also ensure that the timely maintenance of the park is done in future. The park had received Rs 4 crore from the tourism department for renovation. "The work was undertaken by the state-owned Kerala Electricals Ltd. The renovation work was hit due to the pandemic," the official added.