Chennai: Summer holidays mean one thing to children and teenagers- play all day long. But with apartments and residential areas coming up thick and fast, it is difficult to find an open space in this concrete jungle.
There is one such Corporation ground in Pudur that is quite famous among youngsters for it is akin to a breath of fresh air to them. “I love coming to this ground. We can play all day to our heart’s content during our holidays. It is just that place where you like going to,” said Rohit, who had come with his friends to play football there.
“This ground is popular among footballers. Normally, that is not the case because cricket is everywhere in our country. But here, football rules the roost,” he said.
His mate Guru Prasad had similar views. “Playing all day in the sand, it somehow is a great feeling. After being constrained by studies, it is normal for us to feel liberated upon coming here. We love playing football here. The only thing is that once we are all done, there is no shade here for us to resort to,” he said.
Muralidharan, who lives nearby, said the ground could be maintained well by the Corporation. “It is not tough to maintain a ground like this. But somehow authorities miss out on it. There are debris inside and one can even see a damaged cable barrel at the premises. Children are playing here and authorities should fit to place those things at the ground!.”
“Other than the debris, the ground must also be cleaned from time to time. Tipplers misuse the place during night and people urinate there as well. A few areas stink very badly. Moreover, it is common to see a vendor who sells water packets during summer time and the used packets are thrown on the ground because there is no place to dispose them. A garbage can would be welcome,” said Jothilingam, another resident.
He added that authorities should make sure that broken bottle pieces are not present inside the play ground for everybody’s safety. With summer holidays to go for another month, residents want the upkeep of the playground to be taken seriously.
Photo: VM SRINIVASAN