As vendors on the Marina beach have failed to remove the unauthorised structures by the deadline of Thursday, announced by the Chennai Corporation, the civic body is planning to take legal action. Corporation officials are likely to remove the illegal structures with police support shortly.
The Corporation made a public announcement last week asking the vendors to remove all the illegal structures by Thursday, in order to facilitate the restoration of the beach. But the vendors have not removed the shops so far, according to civic body officials.
Mayor Saidai S.Duraisamy told the Chennai Corporation Council a few weeks ago that the civic body would soon beautify the Beach. He said the civic body would regulate the vendors based on the results of a study conducted on the beach. There are 1,212 vendors and the civic body has identified some who own several shops. Most shops continue to remain on the sands even after they finish business in the evening.
“We have been doing business for over 35 years. The announcement of the Chennai Corporation does not affect us,” said Tiruvenkadam, an office bearer of the Anna MGR Sathukam Manal Parappu Sirukadai Vyabarigal Sangam. Over 500 shops are part of the union.
However, officials of the Corporation said that all the shops were illegal and would have to be removed to be replaced with mobile units. The beautification was necessary as the beach was in a bad condition and was being misused by vendors, officials said.
The new arrangement of shops in the 3.1-km-long beach, from Triumph of Labour Statue to Light House, will be made aesthetically appealing after regulation.
