Vandiyur park gets positive response from public; 3,000 visit on a day

Madurai: A day after the inauguration of the redeveloped Vandiyur park, more than 3,000 people visited the facilty by 6pm on Sunday.The park spread over 21 acreas was revamped at Rs 50 crore and opened by chief minister M K Stalin on Saturday. Corporation officials said starting from 10am when the park was opened, steady footfall was witnessed throughout the day. They attributed the overwhelming response to public curiosity about the revamped facilities and as it was a Sunday. The park will be closed at 9pm. The 30-minute boating ride emerged as a major attraction, with around 300 people taking rides on Sunday. The ride was priced at Rs 150 for two-seater paddle boats and Rs 300 for four-seaters. Entry fees for the park were fixed at Rs 20 for adults and Rs 10 for children, while children below three years were allowed free entry.Visitors expressed satisfaction over the reopening. "This is like the Marina of Madurai. The boating ride is enjoyable and affordable. Since it was opened by the chief minister, we decided to come and see it ourselves," said Selvam P, who visited the park with his family. Meanwhile, engineering officials said some minor work is still pending and will be completed in the coming days. "Children's activity zones, trampoline facilities, gliding options, small electronic games, and some subsidised facilities will be introduced subsequently," a senior engineering official told TOI.To ensure smooth functioning amid the heavy turnout on Sunday, police and corporation officials were deployed across the park. Corporation commissioner Chitra Vijayan inspected the park and reviewed crowd management and safety arrangements. She instructed officials to closely monitor movement of visitors, particularly around the boating area.Officials said footfall is expected to increase in the coming days, especially during weekends and holidays.