Kancheepuram Anna Centenary Park in shambles

Located opposite Collectorate, the Anna Centenary Park was inaugurated in 2009 and was subsequently handed over to Kancheepuram Municipality for maintenance. It has swings, slides and merry go round for children, and a few workout equipment for adults.

The park was also frequented by the elderly for morning and evening walks.

However, the park is no longer usable because of the lack of maintenance during the lockdown period, complained local residents. The pathway lied damaged and uneven, making it difficult to walk, especially for the elderly. The slide and swings are also not in proper condition, and are surrounded by thick growth of vegetation. Even the bust of Annadurai show signs of neglect.

The lamps inside the park are no longer functioning, and using the opportunity, antisocial elements are now using it to gather and consume liquor, they added.

According to Chandran, a social activist from Kancheepuram, the public there loved the park and used to visit it every day. “But the same people are now avoiding it,” he said. Adding to the woes, the park is surrounded by drainage, the stench from which is making people shun it, he added.

When contacted, the Kancheepuram Municipal Commissioner R Maheswari said plans were afoot to renovate Anna Centenary Park. “We are planning to renovate all the 28 parks in the Kancheepuram Municipality, as most of them got damaged during the lockdown.