A wayward ‘development’ project that threatened to erase a cherished playground in Malippuram, Vypeen, has been thwarted following a groundswell of public protest that was recently highlighted by TNIE.
“Vypeen boasts a long and cherished football legacy. The Veli ground in Malippuram was one of our go-to venues for hosting all-Kerala sevens tournaments,” says Vimal T R, coach of a local club. “The proposed project would have made play there impossible.”
The original blueprint, prepared by the Harbour Engineering Department, envisaged a massive stage with green rooms and toilets, a parking area, an open gym, and walking tracks, shrinking the once 3,725sq.ft green expanse into a cramped 800sq.ft “public meeting spot”.
“These amenities would have eaten up one-fourth of the area,” points out local politician Swathish Sathyan. “What good is a playground that no one can use?”
Ironically, the project fell under Kerala’s ‘One Panchayat, One Playground’ initiative, intended to create rather than curtail play spaces, and about Rs 99.4 lakh was allocated for it.
“It’s a classic case of top-down planning. Projects meant for the community must involve the community. That has not happened here,” Swathish adds.
Apparently, the initial plan was submitted without extensive public consultation. Local residents only came to learn of the project once boxy cement structures started rising on the open field.
Vypeen MLA K N Unnikrishnan, who steered the project, however, begs to differ. “The project draft was floated well in advance,” he says. “People and even the panchayat members only started taking a closer look at it once football clubs and sports enthusiasts expressed their discontent.”
Before construction could progress further, the residents formed the ‘Save Malippuram Ground’ action committee. “Now, after intense negotiations between them and the officials, a new agreement was reached. The ground will now be preserved with a playing area of 60m/40m, sufficient for sevens football,” says C G Biju, the action committee chairman.
Portions of the stage and green room encroaching onto the field have been marked for demolition, and the walking track will be realigned to three sides of the ground, leaving the northern side of the site free.
Last week, under the supervision of the HED’s assistant executive engineer and the action committee, re-measurements were completed. On Monday evening, a portion of the stage was demolished.
“We are expecting the official documentation of the revised plan to be handed over to us within a few days,” Biju adds.
The original contract had cited six months to complete the project. With major works associated with it dropped, local residents expect constructions to be over well before the monsoon sets in. “We just want to resume our games as soon as possible,” says Vimal.