A Madras High Court judge will visit the park in the wake of a citizen complaint on its restoration.
What’s it about? Justice M Dhandapani will visit the Thiru Vi Ka Park at Shenoy Nagar in the wake of former judge and local resident KP Sivasubramaniam’s dissatisfaction with the restoration work done by the Chennai Metro. What was once covered with trees, shrubs, and greenery is now mostly gone. The park is expected to be inaugurated this month.
- When the Metro took over to construct the underground station, it was done on the condition that the park would be restored. However, they created a recreational space with sporting facilities and other amenities with a minimal green cover.
- More than 240 trees were cut. The Metro wasn’t able to plant deep-rooted saplings. Once the station entry and exit points were finished, 4,800 saplings were planted through the Miyawaki method on four corners.
The complaints: Justice Sivasubramaniam said the Metro didn’t need to disturb such a vast area since the entry and exit points need only a small patch. He said the park had been damaged for commercial purposes. He also believes it was unnecessary to have consumer amenities since the station’s footfall was the least in the city.
(Image credits: Chennai Updates’ Twitter post)