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 The Chennai Corporation is ready to pump in Rs 25 crore for the beautification of Marina and Elliot’s beach. The proposal laid down by the corporation includes construction of fountains, more parking facilities, green strip on the walking path, amphitheatre, separate playing area, cubicles for hawkers, meditation hall, modernised skating rink, etc.
But the residents and beach-goers of Elliot’s beach (Bessie beach), Besant Nagar, have their own agenda. In a surprise move, in a recently-held meeting in the Boys Club hall, where the corporation commissioner and other local officers were present, they voted out most of these measures.
They agreed that the beach required
improvement and placed proposals such as better traffic
management, making the beach road one way, removal of advertising
hoardings and more importantly, making it a plastic-free zone.
Earlier, there were campaigns by groups such
as ‘Friends of Beach’ to improve the surroundings. They
included activities such as cleaning the beach and placing
garbage bins and these campaigns have started to bear fruit.
 Many beach-users I spoke to feel there is no
need for any concrete structures inside the beach as proposed by
the corporation, which included a road connecting the waterfront,
and cubicles for hawkers. These beautification plans would only
reduce the sandy area and affect the view from the road.
“The Schmidt memorial needs immediate
attention before it becomes history,” says Arvindh, an
engineering student and a regular visitor to the beach. He said
in the last two years there has been an increase in the number of
visitors so also pollution and hawkers. “The coastline runs for
2 km, and all along you can see bajji and fish stalls only,” he
added.
Many people vehemently opposed the
encroachment by the hawkers. “All these years I wanted to buy a
house facing the sea. But, nowadays all that I can see is only
stalls and vendors and am able to smell only bajji/fish and not
fresh air. I don’t think I need a house here now,” says
Sandeep, a software engineer. It is not possible to make the
hawkers vacate as they move their carts to the sandy area of the
beach, sell for sometime and they leave along with the cart.
In addition to these, there is also the
problem of beggars. Anywhere you go, they come behind asking for
money. If you don’t give them, they start shouting and cursing
badly, which forces some people to drop a few coins into your
hands. This way it only encourages them to do the same thing with
others, says Ramadoss, who is a regular walker along the beach.
Some people, especially women, also called for
improving security. Proper lighting system is needed as there is
no light near the shore and the lights available are not enough,
they say.
Growing crowds, along with the nearby slum and
hutment dwellers, generate tonnes of garbage. Therefore, many are
for a proper garbage system along with decent public toilets, as
proposed by the corporation.
In the end the corporation assured that the
changes suggested by the locals would be made to the proposed
plans and cleaning work commence in another two or three weeks.
Besant Nagar residents can look to a beautiful and better beach
in the near future.
Dhivya
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