The ban on use of plastics at the Marina beach will be extended to parks maintained by the Chennai Corporation and tourist locations in the city.
Mayor M. Subramanian told The Hindu after the announcement was made in the civic body's 2011-12 budget on Tuesday that the Corporation would co-ordinate with the government agencies, including Public Works Department, that maintain tourist places, to implement the ban. The sanitary inspectors of the Corporation would make periodical visits to the tourist spots.
Reacting to the announcement, A. Narayanan, environment activist and editor of Paadam magazine, said the use of plastic carrybags continued on the Marina despite the ban. The civic body must think of introducing a ban on plastics across the city.
Other announcements pertaining to solid waste management in the budget included placing of about 1,000 litter bins of 80-litre capacity to improve cleanliness in public places such as beaches and places of worship. Small mechanical sweepers for ten zones would be purchased to clean narrow streets.
Mr.Subramanian said one mechanical sweeper is now being used on Kamaraj Salai and nine more would be procured in a fortnight to clean other arterial roads.
Musical fountain
He said that a musical fountain, similar to the one at the park near the Perambur flyover, would be provided at the Dr.Visweswaraiah Tower Park in Anna Nagar. The civic body would develop parks and playgrounds in open space reservation lands retrieved in 14 locations, including near Kathipara grade separator, Perambur railway station and Konnur High Road.
Eleven more parks would get platforms for providing yoga training. The parks include those in Kotturpuram, Nesapakkam, Koyambedu Jai Nagar and Mylapore. Such yoga platforms have already been constructed in 26 parks.
As part of the measures to attract tourists, cultural programmes would be conducted at Victoria Public Hall, every Saturday.
The work to renovate the hall, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, would be completed in two months, the Mayor said.
