Ward councillor demands opening of park inaugurated 6 months ago in Valasaravakkam

CHENNAI: Residents of Valasaravakkam witnessed something different on Monday as the Ward Councillor, along with the support of local children, was seen protesting against the Corporation officials.

AIADMK councillor of Ward 145, T Sathyanathan, organised the protest along with children demanding that civic officials open the recently-constructed park Perumal Koil Street of Valasaravakkam zone with play-area for kids.

The park was officially inaugurated six months ago after several months of delay. Now, the facility is again closed. “Children here want the park to be opened at the earliest,” he told DT Next.

The park, which has a playground, was constructed at Rs 49 lakh. For months, civic officials were lackadaisical in addressing the requests from the residents to open the park for public use. “On New Year, along with Kalam Foundation, a ceremony of planting more than 100 trees was held in this park. Children who were playing in the park were sent out, and the park was locked by the corporation for the reasons known to them,” Sathyanathan alleged. “It’s heartbreaking to see children in the ward complain about a lack of play area.”

Pointing out that the tender for building the park was given in 2023, he urged the Corporation officials to “open the park as soon as possible”.

When contacted, a senior Corporation official said, “Steps will be taken to address the issue.”