After parks, focus turns to sports infrastructure in Tiruchi

Tiruchi Corporation has decided to focus on creating sports infrastructure in different parts of the city so as to build a healthy society.

During the last two years, particularly after the city was included in the Smart City Mission list, the civic body set up a number of public parks, open gyms and fountains in all four zones of the city.

Besides utilising the funds available under Smart City, it has tapped resources for setting up of public parks under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUIT).


According to a rough estimate, it has so far spent about ₹20 crore for establishing public parks.

Most of the parks have received excellent patronage from residents. The science park at Anna Nagar, the public parks at Cantonment, Srirangam, West Boulevard Road, Sanjeevi Nagar, Wireless road and others receive a large number of visitors, particularly children and women, in the evening. Buoyed by the support, the civic body is setting up public parks in 25 other locations.

Since the demand for public parks is said to have reached saturation level, the Corporation has decided to focus its attention on creating sports infrastructure in various parts of the city.

N. Ravichandran, Commissioner, Tiruchi Corporation, told The Hindu that recently set up public parks were serving the purpose of building physical and mental well-being of residents. Many of the parks and open gyms received excellent support.

In the next phase, it had been decided to create infrastructure for various sports including swimming, cycling, volleyball, tennis, badminton, basketball and kabadi. The aim was to build a healthy society.

Assistant Commissioners had been asked to identify the sites allotted for park and playground in various residential colonies so as to set up sports infrastructure. The available sites would be categorised into various sizes. Small sites could be utilised for creating kabadi, basketball or volleyball. If they were established at the doorstep of residents in various places, they would receive good patronage among youngsters and sports enthusiasts.

The sports infrastructure could generate income to the Corporation. A business model would be worked out to generate income for the Corporation.

There were provisions to tap financial resources under the Smart City initiative to set up sports infrastructure, Mr. Ravichandran said.

In the first phase, he said it had been decided to establish a state-of-the-art swimming complex and a synthetic tennis court complex at Anna Nagar. Consultants would soon be appointed to design the swimming pools and tennis courts.