Garbage trucks parked in Ambattur playground

Chennai: The Chennai corporation’s move to use the 50-year-old playground at Ambattur as a shelter to park garbage lorries has affected the hundreds of children here, who have no alternative to play..

The  6-acre playground with a pond and a burial ground located in it is the only source of entertainment to the Mathanakuppam village children, who are distressed over the absence of the facility. With the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal consenting to the corporation’s move, the residents now feel hopeless.

The bench had asked the corporation to not lay a tar road at the site, in order to ensure that the rainwater reaches the pond here. Children’s play equipment has been uninstalled and steps are being taken to construct a shelter for parking. Corporation had raised the cement walls at the place, marking the territory.  P. Charles, who plays fo-otball regularly here, told Deccan Chronicle that his regular practise is affected. “There is no other ground here. I miss my regular football practise at this ground.”

Sources from the Ambattur zone of the Chennai corporation said that they had procured permission from revenue officials to use the ground for parking purposes. “It is going to be a parking lot. No garbage will be dumped in the place, that would cause environmental hazard,” said an official.

Residents are still of Mathanakuppam are still optimistic to utilize the ground at the locality. Village president R. Murugan said, “We have complained to the Tiruvallur collector, tahsildar and corporation commissioner to take steps to stop the move. We won’t give up the fight.”