Shoranur: Even as the summer vacation nears its end, the much awaited children’s park in Shoranur on the banks of the Bharathapuzha remains incomplete, with construction progressing at a sluggish pace.

Although municipal authorities assured that the park would be completed and opened before the end of the summer vacation, the work has since slowed down significantly.Every evening, a large number of children continue to gather along the banks of the Bharathapuzha and locals point out that opening the park during the monsoon season would not benefit children.

The construction of the park, being developed in front of the Shoranur Shanthitheeram crematorium, began several months ago. However, with parts of the riverbank still dug up, there have been complaints that those arriving at the crematorium are facing difficulties in accessing the river to perform rituals.

The park, intended to benefit visitors who frequent the Bharathapuzha in the evenings,is being constructed by the municipality at an estimated cost of Rs.50 lakh. The project includes over ten play equipment units for children, interlocked flooring and improved lighting facilities. However, BJP councillor E P Nandakumar has noted that delays in its completion may reduce its overall usefulness.

Spread across 30 cents of land, the park is envisioned as a well-equipped recreational space. An earlier park on the banks of the Bharathapuzha, developed years ago by the Rotary Club and later handed over to the municipality, has fallen into disrepair and rust due to lack of maintenance.

With the new park taking shape, the municipality has decided to return the old facility to the Rotary Club. According to Municipal Chairperson P Nirmala, works on the facility will soon be completed soon and the park will be opened to the public.