THANJAVUR: Residents of Thanjavur, who were expecting the reopening of the 150-year-old Sivaganga Park on Tuesday, the same day when Kamarajar Market – another project taken up for redevelopment under the Smart Cities Mission – was thrown open to the public, are a disappointed lot.
For, the city corporation is yet to complete the `5.83-crore project even after it has overshot the deadline by almost two years. The garden located adjacent to the 11th-century UNESCO monument of Big (Peruvudayar) Temple was closed for the general public from April 1, 2019 for taking up redevelopment work. The work in the garden over 18.38 acres, which was developed as a people's park in 1871-72 by the then Thanjavur municipality corporation, was scheduled to be completed in 18 months.
Close to 43 months have passed but the park remains out of bounds, making the public restless. "Sivaganga Park has been the only public spot for leisure and one offering play areas for children in the city, particularly for those residing in the erstwhile fortified old settlement. City residents along with their children gather there especially when the latter are on their examination break. We want it reopened for the public at the earliest," said S Kumar of Srinivasapuram.
While the deer population in the garden along with some other animals have already been shifted to Kodiyakkarai wildlife sanctuary, an official of the city corporation told TNIE that the project was delayed after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) suggested changes in the redevelopment plan.
The ASI maintains Big Temple. Besides restricting the height of the structures that are to come up, the ASI had also suggested other changes in the plan as the garden falls under the regulated area under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act. The garden has been created around Sivaganga tank, which was dug up during the reign of Emperor Raja Raja Chola I (985-1014), and still acts as the water harvesting structure for the temple.
Following ASI’s suggestions, some components of the original plan, including a children's toy train, a winch car that carries visitors to a small temple located in the centre of the Sivaganga tank and a cafeteria, were dropped. "Works like laying footpaths have been completed. Lighting, stone relief work, landscaping, signages, irrigation, and facade illumination are to be done. Quotations for some of these works have been called for," the official said.