Panagal Park is one of the last lung spaces for residents of T. Nagar. But it is under a constant threat. The oasis of green with tall trees has given way to blue opaque barricades with CMRL emblazoned across. Almost all of the park has been taken over. The few trees that survive are also under threat, fear residents.
Though Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) has assuaged their fears by saying that the design of the Panagal Park station was tweaked to ensure that the lung space remained intact, lack of transparency and information has left room for suspicions and speculation.
Built on donated land
Panagal Park is one of the few parks that was developed on donated land. The Rajah of Panagal donated around 8 acres, and the testimony to the deed is a statue at the Thyagaraya Road entrance of the park. Now, no one knows where the statue is or if it would even return.
“His grandchildren haven’t been informed either,” said M. Panneerselvam, president of the Panagal Park Association.
The park was developed in the 1940s as the lung space for residents of Thyagaraya Road, G.N. Chetty Road, Venkatnarayana Road and Usman Road. Despite the efforts of the traders’ association to take over the space as the parking lot, the residents won their right to the land. But they could do nothing when CMRL flashed the court order that permitted the company to take over parks for development.
“We don’t want Panagal Park to go the way of Thiru. Vi. Ka. Park. After Cyclone Vardah, we planted trees to compensate for those that the cyclone uprooted. All the young trees that you see here are post-Vardah,” Mr. Panneerselvam said.
The association members say that at least 100 trees were cut for Metro Rail work. CMRL is building the underground station that will connect Kodambakkam, Teynampet and Nandanam eventually. In the past several weeks, CMRL has drawn new signage inside the park. Currently, park-users have access to just two acres of space. For people to continue to use the space, it is necessary to make it viable, Mr. Panneerselvam said.
Toilets not maintained
The toilets in the park are not maintained. There are supposed to be three security staff members, but there is only one elderly person who lives with his family. The mobile phone number of the contractor has been displayed at the entrance of the park, but he is not reachable, the park-users said.
Even the board that displayed the names and contact details of the park management committee has been removed. “We want CMRL to plant trees. We don’t want them to fill the place with concrete as they have done at Shenoy Nagar,” Mr. Panneerselvam said.
“When we come here every morning, we see new markings. There is no one giving us any information. We don’t know whom to approach to know what is happening. Development must happen, but we would appreciate it if we were co-opted and informed of the plans. After all, we are using the park and it belongs to people,” said a park-user. What is clear is that when CMRL completes its work, the residents will have to prepare for another long and bitter fight to reclaim their right to the park.
