HANAMKONDA: Though it has been almost three years since the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC) and Kakatiya Urban Development Authority (KUDA) received a green signal from the State government to develop an Oxygen Park at Rampur in Hanamkonda district, the works are currently hanging in the air due to the shortage of funds and lack of coordination between the two bodies.
Proposed to come upon 86 acres, the Oxygen Park was supposed to have state-of-the-art facilities that would provide the citizens a good hangout spot. According to the blueprint of the proposed park, it would also house an urban park in 10 acres, Miyawaki forest in two acres and a block plantation in 10 acres.
The GWMC and KUDA were also supposed to take up the beautification work on the Rampur lake and its bund. Since it was proposed to come up near National Highway-163, the authorities concerned were hopeful that the Oxygen Park would attract many visitors from across the State.
The officials concerned also mulled developing a children’s park, food court and a walking track on the premises to woo more families. Apart from all these facilities, the two bodies also proposed setting up a photo gallery to spread awareness regarding various tourist destinations in the erstwhile Warangal district.
It may be mentioned here that though it has been one year since the GWMC and KUDA officials began trying to get Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) Minister and TRS working president KT Rama Rao to lay the foundation stone for the proposed Oxygen Park, they haven’t been able to organise the ceremony due to various reasons.
Now, the land abutting the park has turned into an ‘adda’ for anti-social elements, while the locals use the park land for grazing their cattle.
Speaking to Express, KUDA Chairman Marri Yadav Reddy admitted that the work on the proposed Oxygen Park was progressing at a snail’s pace. “Though the authorities concerned earmarked Rs 4 crore for the construction of the Oxygen Park, we have not been able to commence the work yet as the Rampur lake is always filled to the brim,” the KUDA chairman added.