Why Chennai’s smaller, pocket-sized parks are seeing a burst of post-lockdown activity

Joggers, dog-walkers, toddlers, grandparents... Chennai’s small neighbourhood parks are busier than ever before as more locals embrace open spaces post-lockdown

It is 30 minutes past 4pm. As the brutal afternoon sun dims, ushering in a sultry evening, May Day Park in Chintadripet slowly fills up. A slice of the city is on display: while the older folk run, jog or just sit around and chat, children dominate the play area, as their mothers try to get some exercise in. A typical weekday.

Much has changed since the first two months of 2022 when the city was in the throes of Omicron. Lockdown fatigue led people to seek open green city spaces, albeit cautiously. Now, these spaces are exuberant with families and neighbours, many of whom met and bonded over the two years of the pandemic, when they shared this refuge.

Determined to not lose his pace, P Ramasamy agrees to entertain questions provided they do not interrupt his walk. The 87-year-old retired Mathematics professor from Karur (now settled in Chennai) comes to May Day Park every evening. “After three rounds, we sit on the benches to catch up — we talk till around 6pm,” says Ramasamy, adding that he paused during the lockdowns for almost six months. “I really missed coming out then.”

Lending a comparison to how it was before the pandemic, Ramasamy observes that the number of people who frequent parks have increased since the lockdowns. “People have now realised the importance of stepping out,” he says. 

This is true for many other parts of the city as well. Councillor of Chennai Corporation’s Ward 126, Amirtha Varshini, notes. “Public parks are being used again by people from various age groups, at different times of day. There are no new parks in my particular ward, but the old ones are seeing quite a bit of activity.”

According to the Greater Chennai Corporation website, there are 525 public parks in the city. While larger ones like Semmozhi Poonga on Cathedral Road and Dr Visweshwariah Tower Park in Anna Nagar have always been popular, there are a host of smaller ones, tucked away in narrow lanes or in pockets alongside housing societies, that are often ignored or locked out of reach. These pocket parks are seeing a resurgence, as the city gets more and more comfortable with unlock, and people go in search of open spaces within a short walk from their homes or workspaces.

Many use these spaces for exercise, preferring the open air over closed, air-conditioned settings that are also heavy on the pocket. In Haddows Road a small public park, maintained by Apollo Hospitals, is frequented by children practising taek-won-do. Back at May Day Park in Chintadripet, 27-year-old Amala Selvam works out at the monkey bars. Saying that she had a baby last year, she adds, “If I have to go to a gym, I would anyway have to spend a minimum of ₹3,000. Here, it’s free.”