Justice Vineet Kothari of the Madras High Court on Tuesday asked Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal and Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash to take their morning or evening walk on the Marina beach and its loop road, to ensure that the place was maintained well and was free of encroachments.
The senior-most judge of the court was of the view that the beautiful beach could be maintained well if government officials as well as judges of the court frequent the place often. Justice M.S. Ramesh concurred with him and stated that he would also begin taking a stroll on the beach front to take stock of the situation.
During the hearing of a case in which a Division Bench led by him had taken up the task of beautification of the Marina, Justice Kothari wondered why the Marina had not obtained a blue tag given by an international organisation to best beaches in the world. He said all beaches in the State must be maintained to international standards.
His bench also took note of a newspaper report regarding encroachments on the loop road. However, Mr. Prakash, appeared before the court through a video call and explained that all those encroachments by fruit vendors and others had been removed. He said the vendors had encroached on the loop road due to loss of livelihood during the lockdown.
However, now, the Corporation and police officers had asked the local fishermen association to keep a check on encroachments on the loop road, he said. The Commissioner also told the court that a proposal to construct a fish market on two acres of land on the loop road was under active consideration of the government and it would fructify soon.
