Anna Nagar Tower Park to reopen for public: All you need to know

CHENNAI: The Anna Nagar Clock Tower, a 100-feet-tall structure, will soon become a reality when the Greater Chennai Corporation opens it to the public after 12-year hiatus, shortly after the renovation work for public safety is finished.

Anna Nagar Tower Park, officially known as Dr Visvesvaraya Tower Park, is the tallest park tower in Chennai. Tower Park was built in 1968 by BS Abdur Rahman and was inaugurated by former Vice-President VV Giri on January 21 in the presence of the then Chief Minister of TN CN Annadurai on January 21.

The main component of the park is the 135-foot-tall, 12-storied tower located at the centre of the park. The tower has a cyclic ramp spiralling to the top and also has an elevator at the centre. The park, along with the tower, is maintained by the Chennai Corporation. The park has an amphitheatre, a bird-watching deck, badminton courts, a play area for kids, a skating rink, a lake, and convenience facilities for visitors.

The park contains an amphitheatre, a bird-watching deck, badminton courts, a children's play area, a skating rink, a lake, and tourist conveniences. The park, along with the tower, is maintained by the Chennai Corporation.

At a cost of ₹62 million, the park underwent renovations and reopened in 2010. Entry to the tower has been prohibited since 2011 due to incidents of suicides and scribblers, making the city lose a valuable tourist destination.

To quickly reopen it to the public, the authorities began a ₹3 million renovation project on it in 2018. The civic body began repair work last year to install grills to cover open balconies on each of the 12 levels of the building, making it safe for use by the public and ensuring visitor safety.

The tower, which was originally supposed to be opened to the public last month, was delayed due to the artwork undertaken in and around the locality. While the tower has been closed to the public, the park continued to be in use.