Corporation to build sports complex at Rs 7 crore

According to a Chennai Corporation official, the new sports complex and a park would be created at a cost of Rs 7 crore near Adyar riverbank.

“The sports complex will be built on 5 acres of land and it will have facilities such as football ground, basketball and ball badminton courts. The project will be implemented after the detailed project report and estimation are finalised,” the official said.

In August 2019, the civic body had reclaimed a land parcel extending up to 10.4 acres from an encroacher – an educational institution.

Soon after the land was retrieved, Chennai Corporation Commissioner G Prakash inspected the site near MRTS railway station.

Apart from the sports complex and a park, the civic body has already started an urban forest project at the same place and planted tree saplings using Miyawaki method.

“The plan is to convert the entire reclaimed land into public space where the residents can engage in recreational and sporting activities. 

We have already received coastal regulation zone clearance to create the park at the location,” the official added.

Meanwhile, Prakash said that the encroachments on Cooum riverbanks are being removed. “Remaining encroachments will be cleared in two months starting from Paruthipattu to Napier Bridge,” he added.

Under Integrated Cooum River Eco-restoration Project, the CRRT has proposed to plant tree saplings along the Cooum River banks for a length of 60 kilometres (30 kilometres on both banks). Around 4 lakh saplings would be planted.

Apart from creating new sports complexes, Chennai Corporation also decided to convert empty space under major flyovers in the city into children play areas.

Mint flyover in north Chennai, Sardar Patel Road – LB Road flyover in Adyar, Sardar Patel – Gandhi Mandapam flyover in Kotturpuram, Dr Radhakrishnan Road – TTK Road flyover and Rangarajapuram flyover in Kodambakkam have been selected in the project.