Lakhs of people thronged the city’s beachfronts and other popular spots on Saturday, on the occasion of Kaanum Pongal.
Trains and buses were packed with families and groups of young men and women who travelled long distances to the Marina and Elliot’s beaches, Pulicat in the north of Chennai, Kovalam in the south, as well as Vandalur Zoo and Children’s Park in Guindy.
The Chennai Corporation deferred its plan to start enforcement of the plastic ban on the Marina, fearing resistance from revellers. “We did not collect fines from violators of the ban on Saturday. Over 1,800 shops installed bins following a direction from the Corporation. Yet, officials were unable to check littering,” said an official.
Apart from installing public address systems, the police had roped in hundreds of volunteers to man their outposts and take care of children who were separated from their families in the crowds. Around 100 children who were lost on the Marina were traced by the police.
Women constables distributed icecreams and balloons to the lost children. The Corporation conducted medical camps on Marina and Elliot’s beaches and Guindy Children’s Park. The civic body stationed mobile toilets at 50 spots on the Marina and also erected barricades and watchtowers.
Zoo sees thousands
of visitors
Special arrangements were made at Vandalur zoo to tackle the increased number of visitors over the past few days. The number touched 61,000 on Saturday. The total number of visitors during the past three days was 1.09 lakh, 1,000 more than the number recorded last year at the same time, said zoo officials.
“This is the highest number for any Kaanum Pongal. The police, home guards, officials of the forest, fire and rescue services, and health departments, and student volunteers from various colleges helped regulate the crowds at the zoo on all three days,” said a zoo official.
