Tamil Nadu - Udhagamandalam   

Move to develop Davis Park

Photo: D. Radhakrishnan

Needs facelift: The Davis Park in a state of neglect in Udhagamandalam. —

Udhagamandalam: The civic administration would soon develop Davis Park. Named after J.A. Davis, who had rendered distinguished service to the Ooty municipality as Chairman for about 14 years, the park situated below the Club Road has been in a state of neglect for several years.

Stating that it would be improved at a cost of Rs. 20 lakh under the Hill Area Development Programme (HADP), the Municipal Commissioner, Seeni Ajmal Khan, told newspersons here on Wednesday that vacant areas near the Uzhavar Sandhai would also be beautified. A piece of land on the Government Botanical Garden road, which had recently been cleared of encroachments would be converted into a wayside garden with the help of a nationalised bank. An ATM would come up on a part of the garden.

Pointing out that there were about 12 wayside gardens on municipal property, he said that they were being maintained by private commercial establishments. If the gardens were not maintained properly, they would be taken back. It was proposed to implement a major urban forestry programme here.

Stating that under a Rs. 12-crore road improvement scheme, 20 works had been taken up, he added that while 14 had been completed, the remaining would be finished as soon as the weather turned clement.

About 30 per cent of the works under the second phase of the underground sewerage scheme had been completed.

Pointing out that the municipality had learnt lessons from mistakes committed during the implementation of the first phase about a decade ago, Mr. Khan said that all the buildings with water connections should compulsorily be connected to the sewerage system. Efforts were being made to improve some of the footpaths.

Municipal Chairman R. Rajendran said that steps would be taken soon to tackle various problems, including encroachments in the municipal market. In a bid to restore the market to its pristine state, a Market Show would be organised.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests had given the green signal to a proposal to transfer ownership of 15 acres of forest land at Theetukkal near here to the municipality.

The land had for the past several decades been used by the municipality as a compost yard. According to the Forest Act, the civic administration would hand over 30 acres of its land at Marliamund near here to the Forest Department.

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