Residents oppose construction of indoor gyms at Mathur MMDA park
CHENNAI: Residents of Mathur MMDA are not happy with the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) decision to go ahead with the construction of separate indoor gyms for men and women inside the Mathur MMDA park despite opposition from park users. Apart from eating up the green area, the warm-up arena where students had been practising karate, boxing, and silambam has been flattened for new buildings, say residents.
Bhaskar S (54), a karate coach who trained several students in the now-demolished warm-up arena for the past seven years, said, “The flooring at the warm-up arena was ideal for sports practice, but now we’re forced to use a cramped circular area between pillars in the park, which is uncomfortable. GCC could have allowed us to continue using the warm-up arena and establish open-door boxing bags instead of building new gyms.” The new project is coming up at a cost of `1.87 crore and covers 300 sq.m.
The Mathur MMDA Park area, as per the original layout, was designated to be a green space in the 1990s but was used as a dump yard until 2011. After coming under GCC’s jurisdiction, construction began in 2012, and the park was opened to the public in 2016. Spread over 2.5 acres, the park features a skating rink, play area, meditation hall, walking paths among other facilities.
M Raja Rajan, president of TNHB Colony Welfare Association, is worried that the construction might further result in the loss of trees.
Users also highlight several maintenance issues in the park, including broken compound walls, non-functional outdoor gym equipment, poor lighting, and deteriorating pathways. “When basic repairs are pending, why is gym construction progressing at lightning speed despite opposition?” asked S Srinivasan, vice-president of the Walkers Association. A corporation official said that indoor gyms are part of the mayor’s announcement and are being implemented as per norms.