TIRUCHY: The corporation is planning to approach residents' associations in some of the prime areas in the city for financial support to undertake maintenance of parks in their locality. Concerns over maintenance of the 200-odd parks set up by the previous administration over a span of a year are said to be behind the civic body’ plan, sources said.
Of the 310 parks in the city, as many as 210 were set up during 2018-2019, raising concerns over their maintenance. Mayor Mu Anbalagan had also stressed several times that his administration would not follow the previous regime’s park installation spree.
In July this year, the corporation held a meeting with traders and banks seeking sponsorship for undertaking maintenance of some of the parks. The move, however, failed to elicit a response. In August, the civic body floated an Expression of Interest inviting applications from firms and agencies to get the advertorial rights in a park at a prime location.
This, too, failed, forcing the authorities concerned to look to other options. "There was no need for so many parks in a small city like Tiruchy. As one regime set up these many parks, we have to take steps to ensure their maintenance. In some wards they even set up two parks.
Such careless planning has turned out to be a burden to the current administration," a source said. Riyaz Sheik, a resident of Palakkarai, said, “All this happened as the corporation was not having a council for a long time. It helped the then officials to undertake such works without taking into account public opinion.
Otherwise, why did they waste money by setting up parks in locations such as the space under the bridge in Palakkarai?" Meanwhile, senior officials now hope for a favourable response from residents’ associations.
"We are not expecting the public to offer financial support for undertaking the maintenance of all the parks, but in some areas, especially for parks in prime locations, we plan to approach the residents’ associations. If the plan fails, we would try other options. For instance, in some areas like Sanjeevi Nagar, we are undertaking the maintenance of parks with public support through Namakku Nammae Thittam (NNT)," a senior official said.