Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Walkers struggle to keep their feet on the ground

— Photo:R. Ashok

path to perdition:Walkers manoeuvring through the thicket on the track surrounding Anna Stadium in Tiruchi.

TIRUCHI: Walking is the most favourite exercise opted by a large number of people to keep their body and health in the right shape. This exercise always rides a wave of popularity among the masses.

In the foreign countries and also in the major cities in India, exclusive areas have been earmarked for the benefit of the health conscious people going for morning walk. All facilities needed for the people, including special walkers' tracks, space for relaxing etc for the people of all ages are provided.

Tiruchi city can also boast of a walker's track surrounding the Anna Stadium in the heart of the city. A large number of men and women could be seen both in the morning and evening hours for their routine walk. The people using this track have formed the Walkers' Association.

The walkers' path was laid by the Tiruchi Corporation when Mrs. Sarubala R. Tondaiman was the city Mayor, following the repeated requests of the people. For reasons not known, the track was restricted to one half of the circle. Hundreds of the city residents are using this track both in the morning and evening hours.

Of late the people using this well laid walkers' path are sad that this facility is not being maintained properly by the Corporation. Tall bushes have grown on both sides of the path. In some places they are so thick, that the track itself is not visible. Many complain that the track is already not properly laid, with the slabs giving in some places. And the thick bushes have only further worsened the problem.

As a result, a majority of the people are avoiding the using the walkers' path and instead prefer to walk on the main road, risking their lives. In the evening hours, the walkers finish their walk well before the sun set, for the fear of movement of poisonous creatures taking advantage of the presence of the bushes.

A cross section of the walkers feel that the authorities should make haste and initiate steps for cleaning the bushes immediately.

Besides, the path should be re-laid. Their other long pending demands included laying the track for the whole circle, improving the lighting facility, removal of the electric posts that have been erected on the middle of the path and exclusive area for relaxing.

The improper maintenance of such a good facility is totally unjustified, many feel. “The turn out of people, in particular the women, in the evening hours has come down considerably, for the fear of creatures”, says P. Ethirajan, a retired railway officer.

The bushes and the movement of creatures have also caused anxiety to the inmates of the women's hostel of the Government Law College abetting the path.

On a few spots along the track, garbage and other wastes are found strewn throughout the day, posing a serious health hazard to the walkers the next morning. The people demand the Corporation to deploy sanitary workers for cleaning this area in the early morning hours, to enable the people breath fresh air.

The Corporation, in the interest of creating a healthy society, should come forward to lay such walkers' path in the residential localities, with the active support of the locals, says Mohamed Ghouse Munavary, a college student.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Their needles stitch lives of special kids
Awareness of physical fitness on the rise
Polish off shopping with dazzling array
Medical camp organised
Rally creates awareness of census
Power cut on Tuesday
Students shine in contests
Farmers seek implementation of interlinking of rivers
Walkers struggle to keep their feet on the ground
Two boys drown in pond
Workshop on networks
21 huts burnt to charcoal, no one injured
Law students attempt to halt trains, held
In Tiruchi Today

Copyright © 2011, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu