Tamil Nadu: Raj Bhavan's polo plea puts officials in spot

Chennai: Top officials at the state secretariat and Tamil Nadu forest department are in state of quandary. They have to take a decision, but they cannot decide on what to do, on a recent communication from Raj Bhavan. The Governor’s office has approached the state chief secretary seeking permission to conduct regular polo events at the ground located inside Guindy National Park.

 According to highly placed informed sources, the governor secretariat wants to keep Raj Bhavan a happening place for the public and wants to promote activities inside the lush green space.  This April, Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao opened the gates of Raj Bhavan for public, so that they can tour the once forbidden high profile gardens of Raj Bhavan. Now the polo ground located inside Raj Bhavan is a centre of attraction and they want to develop it into a permanent polo ground. But on the other hand, the polo ground is not a proper playing ground. The ground is protected feeding and resting place for critically endangered black buck under the forest conservation and wildlife protection Act 1973.

Governor secretary Ramesh Chand Meena, who also initiated the helipad proposal in 2013 inside GNP,  was not available for a comment. When contacted, forest secretary Md. Nasimuddin said that he was yet to get details of the proposal. When chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan was contacted, the top official said that she was yet to go through land classifications of the polo ground. “If Raj Bhavan wants the ground to be converted into a complete polo ground this will be done, provided the land falls under revenue category. If it is a protected reserve forest the law of land will be practiced. I am yet to get the land classification details,” the official added.

Greens see red in polo petition:

The earlier request by Raj Bhavan to develop an helipad during the days of the then governor K. Rosaiah in the same polo ground irked environmentalists. But that attempt was put on hold by foresters. This news is again a disappointment to naturalists as polo ground is the last breeding habitat for the endangered black nuck in Chennai", said wildlife activist E Seshan, retired photographer, Zoological Survey of India. Any sport or recreational activity inside national park and adjoining Raj Bhavan will affect the quality of forests inside GNP and this will further deplete the black buck and spotted deer population in Chennai", he added.

 The polo ground is about 30 acres and is surrounded by dry evergreen scrub and thorn forest. The green meadow is also a grazing area for about 500 deer inside the GNP area. GNP has over 350 species of plants including shrubs, climbers, and herbs. The park is also a home to species like porcupine, jackal, anteater and migratory birds.