Walkers disappointed as Semmozhi Poonga closed for maintenance work

Groups regular to the botanical garden on Cathedral Road send letters to the horticulture department to find them an alternate space to walk. The park is closed for public and walkers due to maintenance work in preparation for the flower show

If you are planning a trip to Semmozhi Poonga then better be aware that the botanical garden on Cathedral Road is closed for the next few weeks.

Regular walkers to the sprawling garden were in for a rude shock as the gates were shut for them on December 9 morning. A banner displayed at the entrance by Tamil Nadu Horticulture Development Agency says that the botanical garden is undergoing beautification and maintenance work and public cannot access the space until new dates are announced by the State Government.

The walkers group are upset as they were not informed in advance and an alternative space to walk has not been offered to them. The group have made a written representation to the Horticulture Department requesting if they could be allowed to walk inside Senganthal Poonga or Kalaignar Centenary Park.

“We should have at least been told when we came to renew our monthly passes or be allowed to use the next closest park with the same pass,” says Goutham Marlecha, a resident of Royapettah and a regular walker.

Seventy-four-year-old R. Balasubramanian walked to Marina beach from his home in Gopalapuram on December 11, but he does not find it safe as there are no footpaths. “Most walkers hit the parks early, so allowing us to use either of the other closest parks such that we leave before 8 a.m. should not cause any inconvenience to other activities happening inside the space,” says Balasubramanian.

Goutham suggests that as Senganthal Poonga is located in a residential area and closed for long; it could be opened for morning walkers.

Regarding the decision to keep it out of bounds for walkers, an officer says that there is a plan to conduct flower show and the proposal is that it will cover a larger area of the botanical garden. “The plan is to have arrangements across the eight acres of the garden, so we have a lot of preliminary work happening. There are people working in shifts and more than 15,000 plants are being unloaded every day,” says the official.