Adyar’s 8km ‘health walk track’ tests residents’ patience more than stamina

Chennai: An 8km stretch starting and ending at an arch on Besant Avenue Road opposite Dr Muthulakshmi Park in Adyar, inaugurated two years ago as a ‘health walk track' by deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, demands more patience than stamina from walkers.The stretch was designed to promote fitness by enabling walkers to clock around 10,500 steps and burn 320–500 calories at a moderate pace. Now, walkers say they are forced to switch sides of the road every few 100m due to parked vehicles, street vendors, makeshift eateries with chairs spilling onto the footpath, and people sleeping on it.
Just under 500m from the starting point, near the Karpagam Garden police booth on Besant Avenue Road, at least five two-wheelers were found parked outside a bike showroom, completely blocking the footpath on Saturday. Police said the vehicles usually leave by night, and so, no action was taken during the day. "But, we walk in the park during the day. In some stretches, there is no footpath at all," said P Sadagopan, a regular walker.Around 2.5km away at GOCHS Colony, vehicles were parked beneath boards that read ‘Nadaipadhai nadapadharke' (footpaths are meant only for walking). Along the stretch bordering the Theosophical Academy, a sanitation worker posted to clean a nearby GCC toilet was seen resting in a tent on the footpath. She said there was no space inside.The stretch cuts across GCC wards 174 and 179. About 1.5 crore was spent for covering electrical transformers with view cutters, minor footpath improvements, and installing jogging sculptures and benches. "After the initial expenditure, no additional funds were spent to smoothen or maintain the health walk track," said GCC's Adyar zonal officer S Senthil Kumaran.The zonal office collected around 3.5 lakh in fines from ward 174 between Oct and Dec 2025, but walkers say it made little difference on the ground. Velachery MLA JMH Aassan Maulaana said he will work with the zonal officer to increase collection of fines. Meanwhile, GCC city health officer M Jagadeesan said two more potential 8km walk tracks are being identified in north and central Chennai. Urban planner S Babjee said such long walking paths are not viable. "People walk everywhere. You can't expect someone from the outskirts to travel to Besant Nagar just for a ‘health walk'," he said. GCC must work with residents' group to ensure minor footpath issues are fixed quickly, he said.