Helipad park, albeit Centenary park, has been in operation for over two decades in Karimnagar
It was the first park in the integrated Andhra Pradesh state to have three permanent helipads with lush greenery
It is the duty of the MCK to create parks and give lung space, and not encroach them for ‘obvious’ reasons
Public servants should remember that the vehicular population is growing in the fast-growing Karimnagar town
Do not spoil the past glory of fast fast-growing city
Officials are not permanent; they come and go, and they should make their presence felt by doing good things
KARIMNAGAR, OCTOBER 04, 2025: The Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK), which, instead of creating parks and parking spaces for the benefit of the people of the town, is literally encroaching on the parking space on the premises of the Collectorate by taking up plantation and neglecting the reopening of the closed, ambitious Helipad Park albeit Centenary Park in Karimnagar town.
The Helipad park was constructed by then Collector Debabrata Kanta with a vision in the year 1999, with three helipads and greenery. Later, as part of the centenary celebrations of Karimnagar town, it was converted into Centenary Park by the MCK authorities by providing recreational facilities such as swings and other playing items for children. The Centenary Park was inaugurated by then AP Governor ND Tiwari. The walking tracks were also created by the authorities for the people.
Thanks to the so-called ‘visionless’ elected representatives, they had demolished the Collectorate office complex, which is stated to be the first integrated Collectorate office complex in the integrated Andhra Pradesh state, in the name of construction of new Collectorate complex for ‘obvious reasons’. Instead of constructing the new Collectorate office complex on the spacious premises of Satavahana University Pharmacy College on the picturesque shores of the LMD reservoir, the then rulers had preferred to demolish the Collectorate complex in the name of construction of the new Collectorate. It is surprising to note that the Collectorate complexes in several districts were constructed on the outskirts of the existing towns such as Siddipet, Sircilla, Jagtial, Peddapalli and more…
The executing agency for the construction of the new Collectorate office in Karimnagar town had demolished the old Collectorate and dumped the debris on the premises of lush green lawns of Helipad Park and denied entry of walkers onto the premises since the year 2021. With the completion of construction work and ready for the inauguration of the new Collectorate, the contractor had removed the debris and neglected the Helipad park without proper removal of gravel and ensuring stagnation of water on the park.
It is time for the MCK authorities to create parks and lung spaces for the benefit of the people of the town. It is learnt that the so-called public servants were claiming that the people were coming to the Collectorate and sitting on the benches, and hence removed the benches and dumped them in a ‘no-man’s zone’ on the premises for obvious reasons. They also stated that they will not open Helipad park as the people would visit the premises.
But, the learned public servants should remember that the Helipad park was inaugurated in the year 2004 during the centenary celebrations of Karimnagar town. They should also remember that they should create more lung space to the people but do not deny them with parks and parking space with the Karimnagar town growing in leaps and bounds. They should remember that they would not stay forever in Karimnagar town except for the people of the town and do not spoil the past glory of the city.
With the conversion of Circus Grounds and Old High School grounds as ‘paid parks’ demanding the walkers to shell out Rs 10 per day to enter the premises, the demand is growing for the opening of the Helipad park amid lush green trees and lawns. Lok Satta Udyama Samstha Karimnagar town convenor KS Narayana said that the district administration should ensure that the Helipad park is declared open to the walkers by reopening and bringing back its past glory
The MCK should restore the destroyed Helipad park, albeit Centenary park and reopen it to the public by recreating the helipads, walking tracks and plantation of flowering plants.
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