Tenders for push carts on Marina not opened, says Chennai Corporation

Plan to link Besant Nagar and Loop Road under way, HC told

A feasibility study for the Loop Road linking project is ongoing.

Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner G. Prakash on Wednesday told the Madras High Court that it could not open tenders received for supplying over 900 push carts to vendors on Marina beach because of an interim order passed by a single judge on Tuesday.

A Division Bench of Justices Vineet Kothari and M.S. Ramesh was informed by Additional Advocate General S.R. Rajagopal that the Corporation was about to open the tenders on Tuesday when the interim order was passed on a writ petition preferred by a private company.

After recording the submission, the Bench directed the High Court Registry to tag that writ petition with the present public interest litigation petition, in which it had taken up the task of beautification of the beach, and list them together before it on November 18.

The judges also directed the AAG to come up with a definite deadline, by the next hearing, on constructing a fish market on Loop Road, setting up a foot overbridge for the fishermen to reach the market from the beach and connecting Besant Nagar with the Loop Road to reduce vehicular traffic on D.G.S. Dhinakaran Road.

Cleaning machines

In a status report filed on Wednesday, Mr. Prakash told the court that eight tractor-driven beach cleaning machines were being pressed into service on Marina beach regularly from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. to remove litter.

He also said that about 70 fish, vegetables, fruits, ice-cream and buttermilk vendors, who had encroached on Loop Road, had been evicted with the assistance of the Nochikuppam Fish Vendors’ Association representatives and the area was being maintained well.

As far as the construction of a fish market on 2 acres on the Loop Road was concerned, the Commissioner said the Coastal Zone Management Authority had sought details regarding facilities to dispose offi sh waste and also the proposed drainage system.

The Corporation had also been asked to submit a Geographic Information System attested by competent authorities from Anna University. Accordingly, the civic body had addressed a letter to the university on November 6, the court was told.

Two private firms STUP Consultants Private Ltd. and Land Tech Engineers Private Ltd. had been given the task of preparing feasibility reports for the foot overbridge and connecting Loop Road with Besant Nagar respectively, Mr. Prakash said.