Green boost: Washermenpet gets new park, Semmozhi Poonga grows by 5 acres

The State government has already cleared the administrative sanctions and the Horticulture Department is ready for the new projects. “Based on the success of Madhavaram Horticulture park, the State has sanctioned funds for two more horticulture parks.

Litigation related to the SemmozhiPoonga’s adjacent area has come in favour of the State government and this space would now be added to that of the poonga,” State Agriculture Department Secretary Gagandeep Singh Bedi told DT Next. Besides, the existing area Semmozhi park will also be spruced up and the Horticulture Department has already begun the work for the new park at Washermenpet, the official added.

According to sources, plants for the new green spaces will be brought in from Kodaikanal and Ooty botanical gardens. Both the projects are likely to be completed within 2020.

Together with Madhavaram park, all the three spaces will have more than 150 varieties of trees and plants and more than 50 flowering plants each, officials from the Horticulture Department said.

As part of the ecological restoration, these parks will get sub-gardens and artificial water recharge ponds, among other additions. To ensure the sustainability of the park during peak summer, borewells will be dug. The entrance tickets would be nominal, and the parks would also sell a variety of saplings to encourage visitors to take a bit of greenery home,sources added.

“After the Metro rail work began, north Chennai has been reeling with dust pollution. As such, addition to the city’s green spaces is most welcome,” said G Dhinakaran, a retired defence staff residing in Old Washermenpet. The new horticulture department park would bring in some respite, he said stressing on the need for more roadside parks to fight air pollution.