More lung power to city, courtesy Amma Park

The addition of the park will give a boost to the city’s green spaces, while offering the residents a new destination to ‘chill’.

Speaking to DT Next, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, Agricultural Production Commissioner, said that the idea is still on the drawing board. “This is a land which belonged to one of the subsidiaries of the Agriculture Department. In principle, it was decided to set up a green park in this location,” he said, adding that this park will conceptually differ from the 20-acre Semmozhi Poonga, which has become popular among the city’s residents. “A detailed project report will reveal what will be included in the park,” added Bedi. 

Apart from Semmozhi Poonga, the Horticulture Department is aiming to establish an ornamental and demo garden at the 28.51-acre State Horticulture Farm in Madhavaram with an outlay of Rs 5.93 crore. 

According to the department’s website, “Since there is no tourist attraction in the outskirts of North Madras, the upcoming park is a gift to the people residing there. It will be the biggest park in and around Chennai.” The features listed include fountains, aviary, play area for children, garden, space maze and trellises. However, eight years since the conceptualisation, the garden is yet to materialise, much to the dismay of the residents. 

In Tamil Nadu, the Horticulture Department also maintains Government Botanical Garden, Nilgiris, Government Rose Garden, Nilgiris, Sims park, Coonoor, Park in Kattery, Anna park, Yercaud and Bryant park, Kodaikanal. 

In addition to the Horticulture Department’s parks, the Greater Chennai Corporation maintains the city’s 525 public parks and other green spaces including 128 traffic islands and 118 centre medians. 

The civic body will further take up the creation and rejuvenation of a hundred parks in the city’s extended areas.