THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Lack of public spaces? Taking this into consideration, the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation has converted a poramboke land in Kazhakoottam into a beautiful mini-park for nearby residents. The park has been named Ayyankali park in memory of the social reformer and Dalit icon Mahatma Ayyankali and will be dedicated to the public on Wednesday. The project is part of the Corporation's plans to renovate neglected areas into parks and ponds.
The park has been constructed near the Kumizhikkara pond in Kazhakootam. The pond which contained stagnant and dirty water had become a haven for anti-social elements. However, as part of the renovation, the pond has been cleaned. Four cemented benches, well-lit spots is expected to attract the public to the park.
"The local body has spent an amount of A 16 lakh for the pond renovation and construction of the park. An open auditorium has also been set up there. An Ayyankali statue was already in place which is why we decided to name the park after the social reformer. The corporation has revived the present statue of Ayyankali and set up a lawn in the premises," said Mayor V K Prasanth.
Maintenance
Ever since the statue was unveiled in 1980 by late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Corporation had been involved in the maintenance of the Ayyankali square. The civic body has set aside an amount of Rs 20 lakh in 2019-20 budget for the maintenance of the Ayyankali square at Vellayambalam. "We have received complaints from residents regarding lack of lights in the area. So we are planning to renovate the park by setting up a garden and light facilities," the Mayor said.