Women got stuck in zip-line at Chennai’s Kalaignar Centenary Park due to variation in gravitational pull: T.N. Agriculture Minister

Minister assures high-quality equipment at Kalaignar Centenary Park after women get stuck on zip-line, addressing safety concerns.

A day after two women got stuck in the zip-line at the newly-inaugurated Kalaignar Centenary Park in Chennai, Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare M.R.K. Panneerselvam, on Sunday (October 13, 2024) said all equipment installed in the park were of high quality. The women had got stuck in the zip line because of the variation in the gravitational pull, he said in a statement.

“The zip-line is moved by gravitational pull and it will move on a descending path. It stuck for ten seconds since the body weight of the women who travelled in the zip-line varied with the seats. They landed safely after increasing the pull,” he said. “We have ensured the safety of all visitors to the park,” he added.

Responding to former Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami’s allegation that the DMK government had installed substandard equipment in the park, Mr. Panneeselvam contended the AIADMK leader was angry because the DMK government had taken over the land for the park from Thottalakai Krishnamoorthy, who was close to late Chief Minister Jayalalithaa and her friend Sasikala.

He said Chief Minister M.K. Stalin retrieved the land worth ₹1,000 crore from Mr. Krishnamoorthy after a long legal battle. “The park spreading over 23 acres was given to the Horticulture Society by the government in 1910 and it came under the control of Mr. Krishnamoorthy. He got patta for the land and the AIADMK government failed to take any action against him. When the DMK came to power in 1989, Chief Minister Kalaignar [M. Karunanidhi] retrieved 17 acres of land through legal means. But the [subsequent] AIADMK government led by Jayalalithaa failed to take any steps to reclaim the land,” alleged Mr. Panneerselvam.

The Minister pointed out it was the Karunanidhi regime that reclaimed the land–where Woodlands Drive-in hotel functioned–and converted it into Semmozhi Poonga. All the other properties under the ‘control’ of Mr. Krishnamoorthy were reclaimed by Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and he made it into a world-class park at a cost of ₹46 crore.

“Mr. Palaniswami is not interested in the welfare of people. He is angry because the DMK government reclaimed the land from a person who was close to Jayalalithaa and Sasikala,” he claimed.