CHENNAI: The Guindy Race Course land in Chennai has been fully reclaimed by the state government and is being transformed into a large ecological park, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Sunday. The land was taken over by the government as there was nearly `700 crore in unpaid lease dues.
Talking to the reporters at the Guindy ecological park site, Subramanian said the first phase of the project – covering 25 acres at an outlay of Rs 38 crore – was already underway, with tree planting, greening work, and water body creation in progress. The full park is planned on 118 acres of the reclaimed land.
Stating that horse racing was conducted here for about 250 years and the sport had ruined countless poor families, Subramanian said, “People lost their entire livelihoods, their lives, and their mental health to horse racing on this ground. We have seen this first-hand, having lived in Saidapet for over half a century.”
He recalled that former chief minister M Karunanidhi had banned horse racing at the venue on August 14, 1974 – a decision commemorated by a horse statue near Anna Flyover - but the race course management had challenged the ban in court and continued operations.
“Chief Minister MK has now fulfilled what his father could not complete, having already converted the Ooty race course into an eco-park after taking office,” Subramanian said.
On flooding, Subramanian said the CM had immediately recognised that reclaiming the land would allow diverting large volumes of rainwater from surrounding residential areas and ordered six ponds to be dug with a combined capacity to hold 28 crore litres. Stormwater drains around the region are also being built at a cost of `52 crore.
“As a result, no matter how heavy the rainfall, residents of Maduvankarai, Guindy, Saidapet, Velachery and Alandur will no longer face flood risk,” he said, adding that rising groundwater levels would also prevent drinking water shortages during the summer season.