All Chennai parks to go under private maintenance

CHENNAI: Citing lack of manpower to maintain parks, Greater Chennai Corporation has drawn up a ?23.1 crore proposal to hand over 478

parks

to private contractors.


The decision comes against the backdrop of complaints pouring in about parks being poorly maintained. The field workforce for the parks department has remained overworked for years because vacancies had not been filled. The corporation not renewing maintenance contracts also prompted the decision, officials said.

The corporation has been maintaining 252 of its 569 parks using its own staff. As many as 40 parks have been adopted by private individuals, resident welfare associations and NGOs. The remaining 277 are under private maintenance. The corporation also maintains 123 road median spaces with greenery, 111 traffic islands and 163 roadside parks.

“We have a sanctioned workforce of 366 in the parks department. Around 20 slots are vacant and 61 people have been re-deployed in other capacities. At least 22 workers are permanently stationed at the main plant nursery. This leaves us with only 263 people and then there is absenteeism to account for,” said a corporation official.

Maintaining 252 parks across the city with only 263 available field workers showed as the corporation struggled even as maintenance-related complaints poured in from users. Earlier this month, TOI reported how the park on Haddows Road in Nungambakkam had been lying in neglect for months because the corporation failed to re-negotiate a fresh contract with the private party in charge of its maintenance.

“It takes at least 1,043 workers to carry out maintenance work in the 478 parks that will be outsourced to private contractors. Outsourcing to private parties has been successful in Pune. In Hyderabad, corporate firms take care of maintenance in big parks,” a corporation official said.

The corporation will retain control over maintenance of 51small parks, median spaces, traffic islands and roadside parks. “Contracts of 277 parks under private maintenance will be scrapped and a new deal will be available for interested parties,” an official said.