15 new gym parks planned by Tiruchi Corporation

Nearly 15 parks will soon be set up under Tiruchi Corporation’s initiative to improve public infrastructure and beautification of the city.

Each park will have a walking track, garden and lawn, fountain, children play material, drinking water facility and solid waste bins. Some will even feature open-air gyms, said Corporation Commissioner-cum-Special Officer N. Ravichandran.

The recreational and fitness infrastructure at the new parks will draw crowds, he hoped.


Construction work for most of the proposed parks has already begun and will be completed in a few months. Every park will have an entrance arch and an artificial fountain and separate public toilets for men and women. Besides, they will have special toilets for the physically challenged.

Streetlights with LED and small lights to provide sufficient lighting in and around the area will be installed. As part of the surveillance mechanism to ensure safety, CCTV cameras will be set up.

The open gym parks, an innovative idea of the city corporation, are a hit with residents in the city.

Speaking to The Hindu, M. Mahalakshmi, a resident of Puthur, says the park is a good facility for exercise and relaxation. “My doctor has asked me to walk and work out every day but I cannot afford to go to expensive gyms, which require membership. For people like me, this facility is a boon.”

The locations identified for the new parks are Srirangam bridge, Karthikeyan Garden, Moovendar Nagar, Lourdhusamy Pillai Park, Kallar Theru, Vedhari Nagar, Cholan Nagar, Abil Nagar, Star Nagar, Periyar Nagar, Thangayya Nagar, Gandhi Adigal Park, MM Nagar, Housing Unit and Sakthi Nagar.

Of the 15, five parks beneath Srirangam Bridge, Abil Nagar, Star Nagar, MM Nagar and Sakthi Nagar are being created utilising the general fund, while the others are under the Smart City Project. The total cost of setting up the parks has been estimated at ₹12.35 crore.

Thirty parks have so far been created in the city at a total cost of ₹ 13.72 crore under three projects: Smart City Project, General Fund and Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), Collector S. Sivarasu says.

Of them, 13 were allocated under the general fund (₹2.8 crore), 12 under AMRUT (₹8.6 crore) and five parks under the Smart City project (₹3.9 crore), the Collector said.