Park turns into den, kids play with liquour bottles

The Haddows Road Park in Nungambakkam is a delight for any walker. The clean premises, the regularly manicured shrubs, the fully- equipped gym, a skating rink and the badminton court make it a haven for all. However, right behind this public space, lies the Nungambakkam Canal Park which is a complete contrast in all aspects. 

What was originally planned as a walking area in this park has turned into a parking lot. Though there are no rides or playing equipment for the kids, they have invented a rather disturbing sport, to the horror of others visiting there. It involves using alcohol bottles for target practice. “Every morning we find alcohol bottles lying around in the park. We used to earlier just play around with it. One of the older guys tied these bottles together and the rest started throwing stones to practice their aim, so we too started playing like that,” says eight-year-old Mukesh. Ask him if he knows what these bottles are, and he says, “Alcohol,” innocently. The broken glass pieces around the park is the testimony to the state of affairs there. 

Residents around the area avoid going near the place. “It is scary to  walk around there during the night time. Cars are parked inside and we often see people consuming alcohol.  People living in the slums close by have made it their personal space. You can spot women cooking there, men  putting up cots and sleeping. They dry their clothes on the shrubs inside,” says Amrit A, a resident of Haddows Road. 

Past efforts to revive the park have not been successful. Volunteers tried to spruce-up the place and make it  suitable for children to come and play. “No attention has been given to this park for over three years now. People struggle for parking space in the locality and they end up parking the cars here. A lot of attention is given to the Haddows Road Park but the Canal nPark continues to be ignored. The authorities here have to start from the scratchn and spruce up the place,” says Suganth M, another Nungambakkam resident.