Cleaner beach to be a big draw

Corporation to step up drive to install tourist-friendly infrastructure

The Chennai Corporation is set to move projects on improving tourist infrastructure along the city's beaches into higher gear.

“All the eight beach-cleaning machines have been procured. Pilot project has already started. Beach sands are becoming cleaner,” said a civic official after a meeting of stakeholders on beach beautification on Saturday.

“The machines can pick up even small objects like cigaratte butts and leave behind only the sand. The machines will be officially launched next week,” the official said.

Open air gyms

The civic body plans to develop open air gymnasiums at 16 locations along the beach, landscaping at six locations, deploy facilities to access the sands for persons with disabilities at two locations, install bins at 52 locations to prevent littering, lighting at 81 locations, public toilets at six locations and seating arrangements at 15 locations.

The civic body has developed first-aid kiosks at three locations. Officials have conducted a study on accidents, compiling data on deaths and injuries to visitors at the beach. “There has reportedly been a rise in accidents in the past few years,” said an official.

Fishermen’s plea

At the meeting, fishermen requested the officials to restrict the development of tourism infrastructure to the stretch from Labour Statue to Light House. The fishermen demanded the shelving of the project to relocate the fish market along the Marina Loop Road.

“The Corporation should permit us to sell fish on the seaward side of the Loop Road. We oppose the move to shift us to an alternative area on the landward side,” said fisherman from Nochikuppam. “We are ready to keep the beach clean. The development would affect our livelihoods” he said.