THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ever since the Gandhi Park grounds went out of bounds for the motorists, they, as well as traders at Chalai market have been having a tough time. A massive renovation work is going on here with interlock tiles laid and six cross beams constructed to strengthen roots of more than half a dozen rain trees posing a threat to pedestrians and vehicles. The renovated Gandhi Park - Pattom Thanu Pillai Park was inaugurated on Dec 31, 2003, by the then tourism minister K. V. Thomas. The almost two-acre Gandhi Park has got two mandaps, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi and a well-maintained garden. But now it is out of bounds for nearly a month here.
The visitors park their vehicles here and go shopping in and around Chalai market and its suburbs. It had a capacity of more than 60 units earlier where they charge Rs 10 for cars, Rs 3 for two-wheelers and Rs 5 for autorickshaws. On a weekday, almost 30, 000 people cross through its two gates, as per the statistics provided by the city corporation officials. K. Vasudeva Kurup, the garden superintendent, said the rain trees on the border of the grounds had been posing a huge threat to life.
"We have initiated a massive renovation work where all the roots of them have been reinforced with 16 mm iron rods and a 60 cm deep concrete six cross beams. The work on the concrete beams have been completed, and now the interlock tiles around the park are being laid on a war footing," Mr Kurup told DC.
Currently, there are five Kudumbashree workers and three ex-servicemen who act as security staff round the clock. They take care of the parking arrangements and cleaning.
Every day, the Park opens at 8 am, where dozens of morning walkers come, and closes at 10 pm. One of the security staffs told DC that almost every day he and his colleagues are roughed up by retired people and sometimes by young men who misuse the mandaps for drinking and smoking when are banned.
Parking woes galore
Traders and motorists feel part of the parking lot at Gandhi Park should have been kept open. Despite the city corporation providing parking space for motorists at the nearby Putharikandam Grounds, not many are aware of it. Putharikandam also hosts events almost every day depriving the motorists of parking space there too. Shoppers who come to Chalai market will not bother to park their vehicles at the Sree Chitra Thirunal Park next to Transport Bhavan at East Fort 500 metres away.
Mohamed Shakeel, the proprietor of Karims Fashion Corner at Chalai, said the closure had hit his business badly. "Already traders have been reeling under the heat of Goods and Service Tax, and now my business has been doubly hit with shoppers left with no space for parking. The authorities should have kept a portion of the park open," the second generation trader of the family doing business here since 1971 told DC. Another trader who is running a jewellery shop too rued that already a cream of his customers have shunned the area for lack of parking space.
A long array of two-wheelers remain parked on one side of the Chalai market forcing pedestrians to tread the path dangerously to avoid speeding vehicles. While walking towards Putharikandam, DC met P. S. Sreethin, a traffic police warden helping pedestrians at the zebra crossing opposite to the KSRTC bus stop.
He has been manning the busy East Fort road for the last one week. He says not many motorists are aware that there is free parking at the Putharikandam. "Only regulars and local people are aware of it," he said. "Now it is a busy pilgrimage season. Several thousand come to East Fort every day to offer prayers at Sree Padmanabha Swami temple and Ganapathi temple." Corporation authorities say the works will be over in a month and it will be open to the public again.
