GCC opens Nageswara Rao Park in Mylapore after renovation

Nageswara Rao Park, a large green space famous for civic forums and katcheris, located on Luz Church Road in Mylapore, opened after renovation work by Chennai Corporation under Namakku Naame scheme on the heritage premises.

Food and Civil Supplies Minister P.Venkataramanan inaugurated the park on Friday and planted saplings on the premises. The park will remain open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Chennai Corporation Commissioner G.S.Sameeran said: “The park has been renovated at a cost of ₹8.49 crore, with a 1.6 km-long footpath in an area of four acres, landscaping with 28 varieties of plants, a 7,532 sq.ft. children’s play area, open badminton court, two fountains, 1076 sq.ft. swale area for rainwater management. Toilet facilities have been developed in the front and rear side of the park.”

Former Councillor S.Mangala Raj said the park should be kept open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. as per the Chennai Corporation Council resolution as many residents have complained about issues pertaining to closing parks early. “Nageswara Rao Park is an important space for leisure in the area. GCC should not deny permission for residents who want to visit the parks by restricting the time,” he said.

Historian V. Sriram said: “First of all it was a tank. That is what we forget, that it was a surplus water drainage channel for the Long Tank of Mylapore, and water was coming through various channels to this place, from here it was going on further to Mylapore. When the Long Tank of Mylapore became T. Nagar, in the 1930s, the water supply to this tank slowly got cut off. Then it became dry. Lots of old records say it was a dump site. That is when the family of Nageswara Rao Pantulu and others, under whose common ownership this tank was, donated it to the Corporation.”

The park was opened on October 20, 1949 by P.S.Kumaraswami Raja, Premier of Madras. The Chennai Corporation has restored the plaque that was fixed at the entrance to commemorate the opening in 1949. The land was donated by K.Ramayamma, wife of K.Nageswara Rao Pantulu; M.Nainiappa Mudaliar, and G. Aravamuda Aiyangar.