Chennai: With the goal of expanding green spaces and adding more recreational zones in the region, Tambaram corporation earmarked 7.5 crore for the construction of eight new parks.According to officials, the new parks will come up in East Tambaram, Perungalathur, Pallavaram, Thiruneermalai and Irumbuliyur. Each park will have dedicated play areas for children, recreational spaces for the public, and open gyms for senior citizens. Native tree species such as pungai, marutham and neem will be planted to improve greenery.The parks will also be equipped with CCTV cameras which will be monitored at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) to ensure safety and security. Officials said the surveillance system is expected to help prevent vandalism and misuse of park spaces.Currently, the Tambaram corporation has around 100 parks. The number is lower compared to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC). A senior corporation official said that in the initial years, the civic body faced a shortage of funds, and park development was not given priority. “Now that the corporation has a surplus budget, more parks will be developed,” the official said.In addition to the eight new parks, the corporation has also planned to build four sensory parks for children and people with disabilities, with a budget of 24 crores. These parks will include special features such as stepping stones and infinity walkways made of sand, pebbles, wood, fibre and concrete. Wheelchair-friendly swings, sand banks and ground-level merry-go-rounds for visually impaired, autistic and wheelchair-bound children will also be installed.The sensory parks will have soft fibre flooring to reduce the risk of injury in case of falls. A wheelchair-accessible basketball court with hoops at two different heights, including a lower hoop for children using wheelchairs, has also been planned.However, residents raised concerns about the poor maintenance of existing parks. V Saritha, secretary of the Ganesh Nagar Residents Welfare Association, said several parks in areas such as Irumbuliyur, Hasthinapuram and Camp Road are in a bad state. “After 6pm, many of these parks are used for illegal activities,” she said. She added that the corporation should ensure regular maintenance and coordinate with the traffic police to conduct regular night patrols to keep the parks safe.
