VIJAYAWADA: As part of a plan to improve recreational facilities, Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) has developed four new public parks in the city. Plans are afoot to make the newly-developed parks accessible for public in a full-fledged manner from January 1.
VMC Additional Director (Horticulture) J Jyothi said that the State government has allocated funds to the civic body to develop new parks under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.
Urmila Subba Rao Nagar Park, Keepwell Park, Nelson Mandela Park and APIIC Colony Park were constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1.64 crore, she said. Elaborating further, she said that the park at Urmila Subba Rao Nagar was constructed in 65 cents, Keepwell Park in 90 cents at Bypass Road, Nelson Mandela Park in 70 cents at LIC Colony and APIIC Colony Park in 90 cents.
All these parks will have greenery, open gymnasiums for fitness enthusiasts, shuttle courts, play equipment for children, drinking water facility and solid waste bins, walking tracks exclusively for both men and women and a special arena for conducting yoga classes. This apart, special plazas are also developed to enable people to hangout for a while in the parks, Jyothi informed.
“Of the total Rs 1.64 crore, Rs 1.17 crore was spent on civil works and the remaining amount for improving greenery in the parks. The newly-developed parks are aimed at improving recreational facilities in the city. We are expecting an average of 300 to 500 visitors daily at the parks which are likely to be thrown open for the public from January 1, following Covid-19 guidelines issued by the Central government,” VMC official Jyothi said.