Expertise sought in designing

CHENNAI: With the Corporation speeding up works for creating new parks at various places in the city, environmentalists feel the need for more expertise in designing parks.

“The original vegetation that existed before constructing the park is usually removed and new plants are planted. Plants that are good for the soil need to be identified rather than ones which attract visitors,” said Poochi Venkat, a naturalist who feels that nature has to be tended with care with suitable plants, and plants that are only attractive should not take centre stage as is currently the norm while designing parks.

The land has to be filled with a minimum of two feet fossil wastes for soil fertility but most existing parks contain only debris instead, a senior Corporation official tells Deccan Chronicle.

“Seasonal flowers that blossom in specific weather conditions will be planted to attract tourists,” he said on the new proposal in the designing procedure of parks.

Creating a park is not enough; maintenance plays an equally important role. “People have to take charge of their area parks for a park to be preserved and fit for use.

Plants should be planted according to the preference of locals so that they can take responsibility over what they take care of,” said Mangalam Balasubramanian, managing trustee of Exnora Green, Pammal.