Overgrown vegetation stifles ‘Oxygen Park' at Ponmalai
Dedicated to the nation by the then Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer, Southern Railway, Gautam Dutta in March, 2022, the eco-friendly initiative was intended to provide green cover in the Golden Rock locality.
It was established after bushes were cleared near the Elephant Park and Rail Kalyana Mandapam. Removal of old soil, addition of vermi-compost, manure and fresh soil were carried out to ensure proper soil preparation.
A total of 1,050 of Beema Bamboo saplings were planted in the park. The plant is a superior, fast-growing, and high-biomass yielding bamboo clone, developed from Bambusa balcooa. Its ability to sequester large amounts of carbon dioxide make it ideal for environmental regeneration projects.
At present, with the lack of watering and pruning, the dried up vegetation is an eyesore, say residents.
'The park was launched with the intention of creating a green lung within the Ponmalai neighbourhood. Now it resembles a rundown forest that nobody can enter,' civic activist K.C. Neelamegam told The Hindu.
Those who venture to peer through the compound fence can see faded signboards explaining the history of the park. The stone seats, domed metal trellis corridor and revolving gates clearly have seen better days.
In tropical conditions, Beema Bamboo is said to grow up to one and a half feet a day. Since the clone is thornless and sterile, managing its growth and harvest is simpler than regular bamboo.
'With regular watering and pruning, the Oxygen Park could have been beneficial for the families of railway employees residing in Ponmalai and nearby areas. There are two schools in its immediate vicinity. We are afraid that the park may be sheltering snakes and other animals in the bamboo overgrowth,' said a resident.
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