KARIMNAGAR, JUNE 24, 2026: At last, after nearly five years, the district administration has decided to reopen the ambitious Helipad park on the premises of the Collectorate office complex in Karimnagar town by taking up repairs and renovation to the park.
It may be mentioned here that the Helipad Park was constructed in the year 1999 by then Collector Debabrata Kanta, with lush green lawns and three helipads on the premises. Later, it was converted into the Centenary Park as part of the centenary celebrations of Karimnagar town in the year 2004 by providing all playing items and a walking track and taking up plantations to provide ample lung space in the heart of the town.
However, in the name of the construction of the new Collectorate office complex, the rulers led by then Minister for Civil Supplies Gangula Kamalakar had demolished a part of the existing and first of its kind integrated Collectorate office complex of the integrated Andhra Pradesh state in the year 2021.
The Old Collectorate, which was housing innumerable and age-old trees were destructed and simultaneously the executing agency of the new Collectorate complex had dumped the debris on the premises of Helipad Park and closed the park for the visitors.
After several pleas, the Satavahana Urban Development Authority (SUDA) had come forward to renovate the Helipad park for Rs 47 lakhs and the entrance arch at a cost of Rs 6 lakhs. SUDA chairman Komatireddy Narender Reddy, along with Karimnagar MLA Gangula Kamalakar, Mayor Kolagani Srinivas, Collector Chitra Mishra, Municipal Commissioner Praful Desai and others, participated in the ground-breaking ceremony for the renovation of Helipad park on Wednesday.
Ironically, the then rulers of Karimnagar town had converted the Circus Ground and Old High School grounds into paid parks, denying free entry to the common people. These two parks were special attractions for the people of the town, with the conduct of exhibitions, circus, conduct of meetings at the circus grounds and parking at Old High School grounds.
But, the then ‘visionless’ leaders had closed the parks for children, who used them as sports grounds and others for learning to ride two-wheelers and cars. The residents of the town appealed to the authorities concerned to at least make Helipad park a free entry for all by providing adequate walking tracks and children’s playing items with gardens and lawns.
