TIRUCHY: With the corporation’s efforts to raise funds towards maintenance of the nearly 320 public parks in the city not yielding the desired results, officials said they are mulling over steps like repurposing the “underutilised” parks as health centres and restricting to only “essential” upkeep.
Mentioning the civic body’s revenue-generating initiatives like offering advertisement space having tasted success only in the Anna Nagar Science Park and the one near Alexandrian Road, a senior official said, “We are trying again to bring in residents’ associations, merchants’ groups and other local stakeholders to help raise funds.”
Sources said each park requires a minimum of Rs 5 lakh annually towards staffing and basic maintenance. Without alternative funding, civic body officials say they will have to restrict their efforts to essential work like repairing benches, lighting and pathways while ignoring broader beautification and landscaping projects.
The corporation is considering holding talks with councillors to rally localised support for park maintenance. If the efforts fail, steps like the possibility of repurposing underutilised parks for facilities like health centres or fitness zones would be explored, sources added.