Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has set up open air gyms at five parks in the city, the latest being the Northern Park in Bhowanipore area. "We had set a target of setting up open air gym facilities by this financial year at eight parks in the city. We have already developed the facilities at five parks in the city. The Talla Jheel Park, the sixth in this list, will have similar infrastructure in a day or two," said a senior official of the Parks and Squares department of KMC. The first open air gym in the city was developed with the initiative of Member, Mayor-in-Council (Drainage ) Tarak Singh at Rajnandini Park on Jyotish Roy Road in New Alipore that had started functioning from February 2018. The tremendous response among the people prompted KMC to set up more such facilities. Deshbandhu Park at ward 12, Deshapriya Park at ward 85 and Prafulla Kanan Park at ward 32 have facilities of open air gym. "There are eight types of apparatus at Northern Park and it is already gaining popularity. The initiative is for fitness awareness in the society and we invite people from all parts of the city to experience the joy of sweating out in the gym," said Ashim Basu, councillor of ward 70, who had launched it on February 29. "Residents hailing from the lower-middle class find it difficult to go to private gyms and sweat it out because of financial stringency and lack of time. Morning and evening walkers who visit the parks can work out if we can make arrangements for open air gyms free of cost. It will also save time," the official added. Gym equipment which are driven by electricity are costly propositions, so the equipment in KMCs open air gyms have machines for light workouts like waist twister, multi twister, chest press, twist stepper, health walker etc. that do not need electricity.

Stay updated with all the Kolkata Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.