Chennai eco park’s opening by PM gets red signal

CHENNAI - The inauguration of the Adyar Eco Park or Adyar Poonga in Tamil Nadu by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will not happen Jan 3 - the project has not been given environmental clearances.

In a statement late Wednesday, the state government said the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority had recommended in favour of the park to the central government.

However, the project is yet to get the environmental clearance from the union environment ministry and hence it is not possible to include the inauguration of the park in the prime minister’s programme during his visit to the city next month.

Singh will fly to Chennai Jan 2 evening to inaugurate the 98th Indian Science Congress - the nation’s prestigious science event.

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister M.K. Stalin earlier announced that the prime minister will also inaugurate the park Jan 3. He said he had gone to New Delhi to invite Singh for the purpose.

The 58-acre park is part of the restoration of 358-acre Adyar estuary and work has been going at a hectic pace to complete the project by Jan 3.

According to officials, the ecological restoration of the estuary would commence once the park is inaugurated.

The park is touted as yet another showpiece of the DMK government, and its inauguration was included in the prime minister’s itinerary.

According to the state government, the park would now be inaugurated after getting necessary clearances from the union environment ministry.