The park which was closed in 2017 at the Periyar Ninaivu Samathuvapuram in Kutladampatti in Madurai district.
| Photo Credit: R. ASHOK

A park, which was built as a recreational facility at the Samathuvapuram near Kutladampatti in Madurai district around 2016-17, is yet to be opened for public use.  

As the Samathuvapuram did not have any facility for children to play and exercise, the demand was made by the residents to the district administration and the MLA of the constituency. 

Accepting their request, under the funding of Rural Department and Panchayat Raj Department, a park along with gym facilities was built at the area at a cost of ₹20 lakh.  

A. Kalimuthu, one of the residents, who held the key for the park, which was closed since 2017, said that K. Manickam was the MLA of Sholavandan constituency, who accepted the request of the residents and built a park along with an overhead water tank, gym and seats.  

He added that since the park was not officially opened due to issues like Covid-19 lockdown and change of government, it still remained closed.  

Only for accessing overhead tank which was built under Jal Jeevan Mission scheme on the park premises, would the park be opened, he noted.  

When the residents made a request to the authorities to allow them to open it for their use, the authorities replied that some repair works had to be undertaken before it could be opened, Mr. Kalimuthu said. 

For carrying out repair works, fund has to be allocated, the officials replied to the residents.  

Mr. Kalimuthu lamented that since the residents had no open space to play or exercise, most of the youngsters remained glued to mobile phones and other gadgets.  

“At least with the availability of facilities to spend their free time, the residents could use that instead of going out of the village,” he said.  

Kathiravan, former Kutladampatti panchayat vice-president whose term ended recently, said that though the park was already opened to public use, park facilities were damaged and gym equipment stolen.

“As we request the residents to form a committee to maintain the park, no one was ready to constitute a committee to maintain the park,” he added.

Due to insufficient resources and manpower to maintain the park, it remained closed, he said.