Chennai: Residents of Tambaram will soon get two new bamboo parks as part of the municipal corporation’s plans to increase green spaces within its limits. The civic body allocated 3 crore for the project, which will come up at Sembakkam and Perungalathur.According to corporation officials, each park will be developed on about one acre and at least 100 bamboos will be planted in each. The parks are expected to serve as eco-friendly recreational spaces for residents.Tambaram Corporation has a total area of 87.6 sq km, of which about 13sqkm is covered by green spaces. According to official data, the corporation has around 198 parks within its limits. However, only about 120 parks are maintained, while others are encroached on or are under litigation in courts.Residents say many of the parks in use are in poor condition due to lack of maintenance. Several of them have damaged play equipment, overgrown vegetation, and inadequate lighting. Some residents also allege that a few of the parks have become gathering spots for tipplers and illegal activities.M Gandhi, president of the Pallavaram residents welfare association, said many parks in Pallavaram and Chromepet are poorly maintained. “The corporation has been constantly announcing plans, but it is not taking action to implement them. In Pallavaram and Chromepet areas alone, there are about 50 parks maintained by the corporation, and many of them have become hubs for illegal activities,” he said.Tambaram Corporation commissioner S Balachander said the project is still in the initial stages. “We are in the preliminary stage of land acquisition. Once the locations are finalised, construction will begin. Necessary action will also be taken to monitor parks that are encroached,” he said.
