Dumping of garbage plagues eco park

The park, which has a 9.1-acre water spread and 6.9-acre land area, earned Rs 3 lakh  through entry fee, Rs 2 lakh through boating services and another Rs 40,000 from angling. It earned another Rs 55,000 through parking fees, the venue having accommodated 36,000 two-wheelers, 3000 autorickshaws and 16,000 four-wheelers, sources added. 

However, the park faces problems from anti-social elements from Boopathynagar, located behind the angling pond, who toss garbage in plastic bags into the pond over the high compound wall that even has a fence atop it. 

Officials said that they had informed the police who were now on the lookout for the culprits. Similarly, irresponsible visitors also broke many ornamental lights.

Park officials plan to keep suggestion books at the park entrance and at the boathouse to record visitors’ responses. The institution plans to add five more pedal boats at an estimated cost of Rs 4 lakh to the existing five. There are not many takers for the five row boats, they said. 

Sources added that visitors should be mentored at the entrance – as in parks abroad – about the facilities available and what was being done to safeguard them. This would prevent them from thinking that the entry ticket for Rs 30 was license to do anything they pleased. This was especially true vis-a-vis angling which cost Rs 300 for 30 minutes. 

On weekends, when the rush of people was more, many a visitor was reluctant to hand over the fishing rods especially when they had not caught anything. There is a good demand for the 38 fishing rods that the park currently has available. 

The tackle shed needs tables, chairs and fans for the staff who are currently doing business standing. While the entire water body was fenced by bamboo following suggestions, officials said that they regularly stocked the angling pond with 500 kg of catfish, transported from the department’s in-house fish breeding farm in Chengalpattu.