COIMBATORE: In a move to rejuvenate green spaces across the city, the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has rolled out an ambitious maintenance drive covering public parks in all 100 wards across five zones.
Of the 412 parks under its ambit, 376 are being prioritised in the project's first phase, which comes at a total estimated cost of Rs 6.63 crore.
Officials said the North Zone tops the list with 81 parks earmarked for maintenance at a cost of Rs 1.37 crore. The West Zone has 92 parks at Rs 1.29 crore, while the East Zone will see upgrades in 72 parks at Rs 1.08 crore. In the South Zone, 67 parks are set to be improved at a cost of Rs 91.36 lakh, and the Central Zone will receive the highest investment - Rs 1.96 crore for 61 parks.
The scope of work includes cleaning park areas, watering and nurturing plants, and ensuring proper lighting, making parks inviting and safe for public use. Out of 376 parks in phase one, contracts have already been awarded for 324 parks, with work orders totalling Rs 5.71 crore. Works have commenced and the civic body is set to finalise work orders for the remaining 52 parks.
Under the AMRUT scheme, 11 parks have been maintained over the last year and an additional 10 parks are being maintained this year by local women's self-help groups - a move that also empowers community participation.
In a bid to make the city greener, the town planning department is preparing to plant around one lakh saplings across 1,000 open sites and waterbodies like ponds and lakes. The entire project is being tracked through the 'Green Kovai App', developed by the corporation to bring in transparency. CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said the initiative is part of a broader vision to make public spaces greener, cleaner, and accessible for the city's residents.