Horses racing on the track at the Madras Race Club in Guindy, Chennai. File | Photo by B. Jyothi Ramalingam
The Tamil Nadu government plans to create a low-maintenance urban park like Hyde Park on some of the land it recently reclaimed in Guindy and handed over to the Horticulture Department. The government recently repossessed 160.86 acres of urban land formerly used by the Madras Racing Club at Venkatapuram, Adyar and Velachery. The development comes after the government initially decided to create public horticulture gardens covering a total of 118 acres on land in Chennai.
Although no plans or detailed project reports have been prepared yet and no exact plans exist, the horticulture department is modelling its work after the famous urban parks in central London. Hyde Park was once the hunting grounds of King Henry VIII and has been transformed into one of the most popular public green spaces. Across the Serpentine and bordering Kensington Gardens, the Hyde Park Zone is London’s green lung. It is a popular picnic spot, contains several historical buildings and hosts events throughout the year.
The Tamil Nadu government is also eyeing a similar facility, with the plan to make maximum use of green space and minimise concreting. The plan is to create a green space in the heart of the city where Chennai people can come to relax and have picnics, with all the public facilities required for such activities, officials said. Once the government acquires the designated land and it is properly surveyed and handed over to the Horticulture Department, a final plan for landscaping, a detailed project report and blueprints will be prepared, the official added. The government is reacquiring 118 acres in Guindy and 50 acres in Ooty owned by the Madras Race Club.
Earlier, the Tamil Nadu government had said in a statement that “As the land leased to the Madras Race Club is required for public use, the Tamil Nadu government has cancelled the lease and will create public horticulture gardens, public green spaces, community facilities etc.,” adding that at the request of the Horticulture and Plantation Crops Department, land falling under “Government Porombok” and measuring 118 acres and valued at Rs 4,832 crore has been handed over to the department.
Published – 25 September 2024 12:47 AM IST
