Damaged play equipment, poor maintenance raise safety concerns at GCC park in Adyar

CHENNAI: Residents of Gandhi Nagar in Adyar have raised concerns over the deteriorating condition of children’s play equipment and fitness facilities at the Greater Chennai Corporation park on Canal Bank Road, citing safety risks and poor maintenance.

The park, which remains open daily from 5 am to 9 pm, is widely used by residents for walking, exercise and recreation during the morning and evening hours. However, several children’s play structures, including swings and slides, along with exercise equipment used by adults and senior citizens, have fallen into disrepair.

“The handles and roller sections of the slide have been damaged, posing a potential risk to children. Exercise equipment such as the bicycle trainer, Cross Walker and Triple Twister are also unusable due to damage, affecting regular visitors who depend on the facilities for physical activity,” a resident lamented.

Parents expressed concern that the damaged equipment could result in accidents, making them reluctant to allow their children to use the play area.

Adding to the concerns, bamboo shelters inside the park have sustained damage, with portions of their roofs broken at several places. The shelters are commonly used by visitors seeking protection from the sun and rain, but residents said they have not been maintained adequately.

Visitors also pointed to inadequate lighting around the shelters, stating that the area becomes dark after 6 pm. The poor illumination has raised safety and security concerns, particularly for children, women and senior citizens using the park during evening hours.

“All 16 surveillance cameras installed inside the park are currently non-functional, limiting monitoring and raising fears of anti-social activities within the premises,” averred Revathi, a resident. “We bring our children to this park in the evenings. They use the swings, slide and see-saw. However, handles and roller portions of the slide are damaged, creating a risk of accidents while children are playing.”

Another resident, Karthikeyan, piped in: “The public toilet inside the park is poorly maintained and emits a foul odour all the time.”

Responding to the complaints, the park supervisor said that the damaged play and fitness equipment were first identified in mid-March and reported to Corporation officials. Following an inspection on March 30, repair works were carried out on May 4 and May 7.

“However, some of the equipment has once again been damaged by the end of June. The matter has been reported to Corporation authorities for further action,” the supervisor said.