Environmentalists based in Madurai appealed to the district administration and the Madurai Corporation to improve facilities in the public parks in the city.
Members of ‘Naanal Nanbargal,’ a forum focused on environmental protection, who submitted a petition to authorities, said that Madurai Rajaji Children’s Park and eco-park, situated in the heart of the city, despite collecting entry fees from the people, were not maintained properly.
The play area in the parks which majorly attracts children was maintained poorly in the two parks, said S. Sridhar, coordinator of the forum.
“During a visit to the Rajaji park, we learned that ₹10 and ₹20 are charged for kids and adults respectively. But there were just two swings, 16 slides, five seesaws and three climbers. This would be enough for the children, but out of these, only two to three equipment were in a good condition,” he added.
Similar conditions existed in the eco-park which charged ₹5 for both kids and adults. While it had 20 swings, four slides and one climber, either the railing of the climber was damaged or the body of the slides was rusted, Mr. Sridhar noted.
While the parks in the city were the first space for any children to get a new experience by playing with strangers in a peaceful environment, the unusable situation of the available facilities at the park was a sorry spectacle of the parks, he said.
For a better experience for the children and adults, infrastructures in the parks in city should be enhanced, he added.
Published – January 07, 2025 07:16 pm IST
