Fish, fish, some more fish. Some familiar, some not so. Buyers haggle with traders till they go red in the face, oblivious to the fact that their two-wheelers, parked by the roadside, are causing a pile-up. There are sights such as this, sounds and – of course, smell – that you cannot miss while taking the Marina Loop Road, which branches off Kamaraj Salai, near Light House, and runs up to Srinivasapuram.
With the Chennai Corporation having come up with a plan to add a touch of class to this stretch, many of the things that readily spring to mind at the mention of Marina Loop Road will undergo a sea change. There is no reason to panic here: the fish market will not go, but will get a new look.
As the tenders for the facelift project were finalised recently, work is expected to start soon. Besides a new fish market, a footpath, a cycle track and broader roads are among what has been proposed.
When the makeover of the road gets under way, the fish traders will be shifted temporarily to another location.
However, a majority of the fish stalls on Loop Road being encroachments, it is doubtful if they would be provided alternative places or moved back when the work is complete.
Tamilchelvi, 52 years old, who makes a living cleaning fishes bought by customers, cannot even imagine moving to any other location. “I was born and brought up in this village and my parents sold fish from here from the same stall,” she says with a tone of finality. Most other women selling fish express the same sentiment. Many of them are unaware of the proposed project.
When informed about it, they are happy about the better amenities it promises. “Each of us has stalls of various sizes. Giving us a roof and earmarking a stall for each of us will help,” says Tamilchelvi.
The design of the new fish market promises to protect fisherwomen from the sun and provide parking space for customers.
After 2004 Tsunami, Marina Loop Road got its identity as a trading hub for fishermen. Many fishermen started selling their wares from the pavements.
The place bustles with activity during weekends, and driving down the stretch is tiresome during peak hours when the Santhome High Road is one-way. “The fish sold here are always fresh and you can bargain easily, reason I would buy more often from this market than the one near my house,” says V. Sadaanand, a resident of Adyar.
