The Hindu : Front Page : New encroachments on Marina to go

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2007
ePaper

Front Page

Front Page

New encroachments on Marina to go

Meera Srinivasan

— PHOTO: K. PICHUMANI

ON THE way out: Several mobile shops on the Marina Beach are set to be removed soon by the Chennai Corporation.

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation will remove “new encroachments” along the Marina in the next few days. The decision to remove nearly 400 identified shops comes as a prelude to the launch of the Corporation’s beach beautification project in the city.

Chennai Mayor M. Subramanian told The Hindu that shops that were on the Marina for over 10-15 years (near the Anna Samadhi) would not be disturbed. Most of the identified shops had mushroomed in the last three to four months. The dr ive will be part of the beautification project. “We have been getting several complaints from walkers who come to the beach everyday,” he said.

The Corporation had decided to have the new encroachments removed on Monday, but it could not proceed, as most of its workforce was involved in garbage clearance in the last two days.

“The shops will be removed with the help of the police. Once they are removed, there is no question of allowing them again. The space will be beautified ,” he said. Vendors said they had heard of the decision but had not received official communication.

Many of them were under the impression that they would be allowed to bring their mobile shops daily and take them back in the night.

The city beach beautification project has an allocation of Rs.25 crore, of which about Rs.17 crore is to be used exclusively for the Marina.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page